'Maladaptation': how not to cope with climate change

A crescendo of deadly extreme weather is outpacing preparations for a climate-addled world, according to a landmark UN assessment of climate impacts released this week.

Whether it is sustainable farming or bioengineered crops to boost food security; restoring mangrove forests or building sea dams to buffer rising oceans; urban green corridors or air conditioning to temper killer heatwaves -- the search for ways to cope with the fallout of global heating has become urgent.

..."You can only adapt to what you know," said Mohamed Adow, founder and director of the Nairobi-based Power Shift Africa.

"In the case of Africa, we know very little. How do you create early warning systems for extreme weather without data?", he told AFP.

"Sharm-El-Sheikh must be seen as the adaptation COP," said Adow, referring to the next year-end climate meet in Egypt.