THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION GENERATION

Robert W. Collin's The Climate Adaptation Generation is both a call to action and a guide for living in an age of climate disruption. The book presents a comprehensive program for not only surviving but thriving amid the ecological challenges ahead. It's filled with planning tools and case studies showing how these tools have successfully been implemented in local communities around the world.

It is a deeply intergenerational book. Collin uses the terms "Adaptation Generation" and "Resilience Generation" to describe the younger generations who will be most affected by the accelerating impacts of climate change and the older generations who possess the experience and institutional memory needed to guide humanity's adaptation to these changes. He argues that younger and older people alike hold essential forms of power–digital fluency and institutional wisdom, respectively–that must be brought together if we are to create a future in which we can not only survive but thrive.

The book has 14 chapters, each focused on a specific climate-related challenge, from floods to droughts to wildfires to climate change-induced public health threats. The typical chapter begins with a general overview of its topic in the contexts of climate science and public policy. It then presents case studies of successful adaptation and examples of the many ways in which AI is revolutionizing adaptation planning. It concludes with a sample advocacy brief addressing the specific climate challenge discussed in the chapter, along with a "Planner's Toolkit" containing additional resources.

Collin's overviews of these climate challenges are concise yet comprehensive. He does an impressive job of synthesizing the key scientific facts, policy frameworks and global trends shaping each issue–whether it's the complex hydrology of drought, the cascading health risks of rising temperatures or the accelerating pace at which storms are intensifying. His research draws on authoritative sources: the latest evidence from the IPCC, UN agencies and national reports. The result is a clear, accessible survey of the innumerable intersecting forces driving each facet of the climate crisis.

Collin stresses that efforts to adapt to climate change shouldn't be focused solely on reducing harm and risk; they should also aim to promote human flourishing. For him, this means equipping individuals and communities to find purpose, joy and connection even in uncertain times. Drawing on findings from the Harvard Flourishing Study, a global research project examining the factors that enable people to thrive across different aspects of life, Collin shows how climate adaptation can go beyond simply protecting people from harm and lead to improvements in their health, happiness, relationships, financial stability and ability to find meaningful work.

The case studies provide countless examples of climate adaptation strategies already being implemented in many sectors around the world. Some notable examples include water resilience programs in Cape Town, South Africa; Indigenous methods of fire stewardship in British Columbia; and Japan's disaster prevention parks (the latter being public spaces designed to serve as both recreational areas and emergency shelters in times of disaster). Other notable cases include Bangladesh's floating agriculture, the Netherlands' Delta Program and Kenya's use of AI to predict drought. In presenting each example, Collin makes a point of identifying lessons that can be applied to other contexts.

Collin gives many examples of how AI is being used in climate adaptation planning, including in the areas of flood forecasting, wildfire detection, drought modeling, disease surveillance and climate education. These examples amply demonstrate the power of AI-driven insights to aid in climate disaster prevention and improve emergency response and access to vital information in the event of a disaster. But he repeatedly emphasizes the digital divide between the younger and older generations, and the need to ensure equitable access to technology. He warns that digital exclusion–particularly among older adults and those living in rural communities–has become a new axis of climate inequality. He calls for communities to invest in inclusive, locally governed digital technologies.

The advocacy briefs at the end of each chapter are among the book's greatest strengths. Modeled on real-world policy documents and designed for policymakers, planners, educators and community advocates, they are filled with concrete, actionable ideas for legislation, legal strategies and planning recommendations aimed at advancing climate resilience, equity and sustainability. In short, they truly embody the book's ethos of empowering readers to take action within their local communities.

In later chapters, Collin explores adaptation through political and philosophical lenses. He discusses and compares capitalist and Marxist responses to the climate crisis and frames climate adaptation as both evolution and revolution. By this he means that adaptation requires not only changes to laws, institutions and ways of thinking, but also a profound overhaul of our economic and social systems. He advocates for bioregional planning, an approach to land use and community development that organizes human activities around natural ecological boundaries, in recognition of the fact that climate impacts transcend national borders.

While Collin writes with optimism, his outlook isn't based on wishful thinking. He acknowledges the severity of the climate crisis–including accelerating sea-level rise, melting permafrost, and other feedback loops–but argues that evidence from communities already adapting offers a practical foundation for hope.

My one criticism of this book is that its ambitious scope limits how deeply it can explore any single topic. Even so, Collin's attempt to synthesize science, policy, philosophy and activism into a single, actionable blueprint is impressive and quite fruitful.

*******

If you enjoyed this review, try Prairie Fire. Imagine Tom Clancy writing a multilayered thriller about peak oil.