IPCC fourth assessment report: climate change 2007 - Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability (IPPC WGII AR4)

This document is the second volume of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. After confirming in the first volume on “The Physical Science Basis” that climate change is occurring now, mostly as a result of human activities, this volume illustrates the impacts of global warming already under way and the potential for adaptation to reduce the vulnerability to, and risks of climate change.

Drawing on over 29,000 data series, the current report provides a much broader set of evidence of observed impacts coming from the large number of field studies developed over recent years. The analysis of current and projected impacts is then carried out sector by sector in dedicated chapters. The report pays great attention to regional impacts and adaptation strategies, identifying the most vulnerable areas. A final section provides an overview of the inter-relationship between adaptation and mitigation in the context of sustainable development.