Difference Between Adaptation and Mitigation

Difference Between Adaptation and Mitigation: Adaptation and mitigation are two methods that can be used to fix various problems in the world like climate change, pollution, water treatment, and many more. These both occur in many things like humans developing new climate change strategies, animals trying to adapt themselves to the environment, etc. and they are very important for our planet Earth and humanity as a whole. These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, so it is essential to understand the difference.

Difference Between Adaptation & Mitigation

Characteristics	Adaptation	Mitigation
Primary Focus	It mainly focuses on adapting to the effects.	It focuses on changing the cause itself.
Scalability	Generally Provides the benefits at a local scale.	It provides benefits at a global scale.
Effect	It has a short-term effect because the original cause of the problem always remains.	It has a long-term effect because it removes the cause of the problem.
Strategies	Adaptation strategies can be like planting trees.	Mitigation strategies are reducing greenhouse gases, etc.
Examples	In the case of energy resources, it can be strategies like reducing the use of fossil fuels.	It can be like an increase in the use of electromotive vehicles.

What is Adaptation?

As the word suggests, adaption is the process by which an organism adapts to its environment. Here the organism itself changes and the environment remains the same. This can occur through various methods, the organism can change itself or organisms can also be selected through natural selection where those who are fit to survive and rest are rejected by nature.

Properties Of Adaptation

1. We change ourselves in response to the effects.
2. Provides benefits at a local scale.
3. Has short-term effects.

What is Mitigation?

Mitigation is the process by which we try to fix the cause instead of adapting to the effects. Pollution control, habitat restoration, etc are examples of mitigation.

Properties Of Mitigation

1. We try to change the original cause itself.
2. Provides benefits at a global scale.
3. Has long-term effects.

FAQs on Adaptation and Mitigation

Q1: What is adaptation?

Answer:

Adaptation is changing the species in response to the environment. Like changing their habits, their way of living, etc.

Q2: What is Mitigation?

Answer:

Mitigation is fixing the original cause so that the problem is solved permanently.

Q3: Give an example of adaptation.

Answer:

Desert plants have developed structural changes like thick stems for storing water to adapt to the dry and hot climate.

Q4: Give an example of mitigation.

Answer:

When a river is polluted, we try to stop the direct cause of the problem which could be an industry polluting the river.