Are mitigation and adaptation approaches complementary?
* A: Conceptually, many situations can be envisioned whereby mitigation and adaptation practices complement each other. For instance, certain fuel-reduction treatments to reduce severe wildfire could be conducted for complementary adaptation and mitigation goals: reducing wildfire protects habitats and also averts excess greenhouse gas emissions. Conflicts between adaptation and mitigation are also likely. For instance, other types of fuel-reduction treatments can be envisioned, such as extreme and uniform thinning over large areas, that have the potential to reduce adaptive responses even though they are effective mitigation practices. Because the situation is so complex and our knowledge yet untested, it is very difficult to evaluate what situations would be complementary or conflicting, and how to effectively integrate these approaches. (Klein et al.
