Deep adaptation refers to a framework that acknowledges the inevitability of societal collapse due to climate change and environmental degradation, and it focuses on how communities and individuals can prepare for, respond to, and emotionally and spiritually cope with these profound disruptions. Originating from a critical appreciation of the limitations of current mitigation and adaptation efforts, deep adaptation encourages a radical rethinking of priorities and lifestyles, urging us to cultivate resilience, relinquish unsustainable practices, and restore a deeper connection with the natural world and each other. It promotes a holistic and inclusive approach, integrating diverse perspectives and wisdoms, especially from Indigenous and marginalized communities, to envision equitable and compassionate pathways through the climate crisis. By embracing vulnerability and uncertainty, deep adaptation offers a profound critique of socio-economic systems while emphasizing the need for collective solidarity and transformative learning.

See also: climate change, global education, climate justice, global south, global north