Preventing climate change versus adapting to it: history shows that societies can adapt to changing climate conditions

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 15, 2026 /CNW/ - Despite climate model projections showing real changes to our climate over the next century, history shows that human societies can adapt to changing climate conditions, finds a new essay published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

"Changes to ecologic systems, even fairly rapid ones, can be successfully responded to by societies at the local and regional levels using conventional engineering and innovation," said Ken Green, Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute and author.

Adapting to Climate Change around the World examines the potential for climate adaptation in modern societies and how to most effectively respond to projected climate changes, including higher temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events such as floods.

The study scrutinizes a number of historical climate episodes related to rising water levels, including the Netherlands Delta Works, the Thames Barrier, the Canal control system of Venice, and river controls in Europe all showing that changes to these ecologic systems – even sudden and severe - can be successfully responded to and controlled by societies at the local-to-regional level using standard engineering technologies and innovation, as well as government actions such as creating public notification and warning systems.

Similarly, the essay reviews how extremes of heat in two very different societies (Ahmedabad India and the United States) can be managed with currently available technology and engineering.

"At the end of the day, we do not understand the climate enough to genuinely control it, and so, as history has shown us, we're better off trying to adapt and develop technologies to respond to incoming changes," Green said.

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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

SOURCE The Fraser Institute

MEDIA CONTACT: Ken Green, Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute; To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute, [email protected], 604-688-0221 ext. 721; For more information, please contact: Bryn Weese, Associate Director, Communications, Fraser Institute, 604-688-0221 ext. 589, [email protected]