Adaptation Pyramid
Visual method for working more effectively towards a climate-resilient system
Customer
Location
Duration
Read more
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, various district water boards and municipalities
The Netherlands and abroad
2023 – present
Adaptation Pyramid
Visual method for working more effectively towards a climate-resilient system
Customer
Location
Duration
Read more
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, various district water boards and municipalities
The Netherlands and abroad
2023 – present
As the effects of climate change are becoming more and more palpable, the question is how effectively we are adapting. Are our current adaptation policies keeping pace with the changing climate? Are we making the right choices to reduce short- and long-term risks? The Adaptation Pyramid is a method designed to help you answer these critical strategic questions for your area.
The Adaptation Pyramid can be used as a practical tool to support the development of a climate-proof, resilient system—one that’s not only built to withstand shocks, but to prevent future crisis scenarios. By using the Adaptation Pyramid, you gain insight into whether your measures are truly effective, where adjustments may be needed, and how to strengthen your climate strategy over time.
What is the Adaptation Pyramid?
The Adaptation Pyramid is a method and visual tool for policymakers to identify a coherent set of climate adaptation goals, targets, and actions, and set the course for adaptation. It symbolizes a climate resilient system consisting of three layers (see Figure 1).
1) The base layer refers to transformational adaptation. This includes adaptation actions that transform environmental, economic, political, and socio-cultural systems into a more sustainable, just, and resilient state. Here root causes of climate risk and vulnerability are addressed, for example by restoring the natural system to be able to withstand climate events. This includes those risks and vulnerabilities that are exacerbated by climate change, and may relate to, for example, the health conditions of certain groups of stakeholders and the biodiversity conditions in a region.
2) On top of the base layer, incremental adaptation may be necessary, making changes to the systems in place. These are often technical measures, such as increasing drainage capacity, reinforcing dikes or placing pumps.
3) The top layer involves actions in preparation and reaction to (extreme) climate events, also termed reactive adaptation. This includes for example early warning systems, awareness campaigns, and emergency plans.
Supporting your adaptation ambitions
The pyramid supports ambition setting in two ways. First, it encourages looking at the bigger picture by considering a balanced mix of three types of adaptation: transformative, incremental, and reactive adaptation. Second, it helps to clearly identify and define specific goals, targets, and actions. And it links the two ways in a comprehensive manner.
The Adaptation Pyramid in action
In stakeholder-driven workshops the adaptation pyramid has already proven to be an effective tool: by using the familiar image of a pyramid, we helped kick-start meaningful conversations between practitioners from different sectors and domains about both the current situation and future goals.
The framework can be further leveraged when it is tied to a broader vision for the area. Mapping out the current and desired goals and action will require an iterative process—one that involves reflection, discussion, and building consensus. Along the way, it encourages exploring effective solutions and uncovering the root causes of key climate risks.
The Adaptation Pyramid has already been successfully applied in three Dutch regions, three municipalities, and two water authorities through participatory workshops with policymakers. It is also being used internationally in Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe as part of the Safe4All project. Learn more:
• Safe4All Africa
• Climate Adaptation Services – Safe4All
How did the pyramid workshops proceed?
The workshops addressed multiple climate hazards: heat, floods, and drought. Policymakers discussed and identified existing goals, targets, and actions for the three layers of the adaptation pyramid. The workshops trigger discussions about whether adaptation policies have been too little forward looking into the long term (50 to 100 years), and too much focused on ad hoc measures and incremental solutions. Transformational typically appear underdeveloped.
In follow up sessions, the policymakers reflected on the desired ‘shape of the pyramid’, resulting in the identification of more goals, targets and actions related to nature-based solutions (NbS) and greening of urban areas. If implemented on a large scale, these measures can transform the systems of these regions to a more resilient state with a larger capacity to manage excess rainwater and cool urban areas. These actions can also more easily be connected to objectives related to climate mitigation, health, biodiversity, and wellbeing.
How to use the Adaptation Pyramid?
The Adaptation Pyramid is a great concept to use during discussions about your climate adaptation goals. The pyramid can help you define concrete measures and goals for climate adaptation together. You can also use it to assess whether your current goals need to be adjusted to work towards a more climate-resilient system. In practice, we often see that the focus is mainly on the second layer of the pyramid (often technical measures), while there is still little attention to the other layers. In addition, the pyramid can be used to get colleagues involved in adaptation projects or to encourage regional cooperation.
Use on national policy level in the Netherlands
We use the Adaptation Pyramid in various workshops in the Netherlands and abroad. It is also used as a tool within the national Delta Programme for Spatial Adaptation (DPRA). The approach helps the government on a local, regional and national level to make climate adaptation goals more concrete. The DPRA steering group encourages all governments to use the Adaptation Pyramid in their risk dialogues.
Want to start using the pyramid yourself?
Would you like to start working with the Adaptation Pyramid? For example, to get a shared view with different stakeholders of where you stand? Or to decide together what needs to change to make your system more climate-proof? Please get in touch with us. Soon, a download link will be available on this page with helpful materials to guide you in running a workshop using the pyramid approach.
Development of the Pyramid concept
We developed the Adaptation Pyramid in response to a request from various governments in the Netherlands for a tool to think more strategically about adaptation strategies and how to monitor its progress. Organisations that helped to co-develop the Adaptation Pyramid include the Delfland District Water Board, Vallei en Veluwe District Water Board, and the municipalities of Dordrecht, Ede, Apeldoorn, and Wageningen, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water, and the various stakeholders in the EU funded projects REACHOUT and Safe4All.
Further reading
Want to dive deeper? Please download the brochure or visit the REACHOUT website for more information and materials: https://triple-a-toolkit.eu/post_type_toolkit/adaptation-pyramid/. Or read one of the following articles:
- Kelder et al., How to stop being surprised by unprecedented weather. In: Nature Communications (2025).
- Gaby Langendijk a, Eva Boon b, Hasse Goosen b, Ad Jeuken a, Saioa Zorita Castresana c, Nieves Pena Cerezo c, Jaroslav Mysiak d e, Leon Kapetas f, Ambition setting through climate services to drive climate resilient development. In: Climate Services Volume 38, April 2025.
- Swart, R., Timmermans, W., Boon, E., Van Ginkel, M., Goosen, H., Van Veldhoven, F., Cilliers, J., Ndaguba, E., Can Managing Climate Risks Be a Catalyst for Broader Transformative Change?. In: Social Sciences, 2023.
What is the Adaptation Pyramid?
The Adaptation Pyramid is a method and visual tool for policymakers to identify a coherent set of climate adaptation goals, targets, and actions, and set the course for adaptation. It symbolizes a climate resilient system consisting of three layers (see Figure 1).
1) The base layer refers to transformational adaptation. This includes adaptation actions that transform environmental, economic, political, and socio-cultural systems into a more sustainable, just, and resilient state. Here root causes of climate risk and vulnerability are addressed, for example by restoring the natural system to be able to withstand climate events. This includes those risks and vulnerabilities that are exacerbated by climate change, and may relate to, for example, the health conditions of certain groups of stakeholders and the biodiversity conditions in a region.
2) On top of the base layer, incremental adaptation may be necessary, making changes to the systems in place. These are often technical measures, such as increasing drainage capacity, reinforcing dikes or placing pumps.
3) The top layer involves actions in preparation and reaction to (extreme) climate events, also termed reactive adaptation. This includes for example early warning systems, awareness campaigns, and emergency plans.
Supporting your adaptation ambitions
The pyramid supports ambition setting in two ways. First, it encourages looking at the bigger picture by considering a balanced mix of three types of adaptation: transformative, incremental, and reactive adaptation. Second, it helps to clearly identify and define specific goals, targets, and actions. And it links the two ways in a comprehensive manner.
The Adaptation Pyramid in action
In stakeholder-driven workshops the adaptation pyramid has already proven to be an effective tool: by using the familiar image of a pyramid, we helped kick-start meaningful conversations between practitioners from different sectors and domains about both the current situation and future goals.
The framework can be further leveraged when it is tied to a broader vision for the area. Mapping out the current and desired goals and action will require an iterative process—one that involves reflection, discussion, and building consensus. Along the way, it encourages exploring effective solutions and uncovering the root causes of key climate risks.
The Adaptation Pyramid has already been successfully applied in three Dutch regions, three municipalities, and two water authorities through participatory workshops with policymakers. It is also being used internationally in Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe as part of the Safe4All project. Learn more:
• Safe4All Africa
• Climate Adaptation Services – Safe4All
How did the pyramid workshops proceed?
The workshops addressed multiple climate hazards: heat, floods, and drought. Policymakers discussed and identified existing goals, targets, and actions for the three layers of the adaptation pyramid. The workshops trigger discussions about whether adaptation policies have been too little forward looking into the long term (50 to 100 years), and too much focused on ad hoc measures and incremental solutions. Transformational typically appear underdeveloped.
In follow up sessions, the policymakers reflected on the desired ‘shape of the pyramid’, resulting in the identification of more goals, targets and actions related to nature-based solutions (NbS) and greening of urban areas. If implemented on a large scale, these measures can transform the systems of these regions to a more resilient state with a larger capacity to manage excess rainwater and cool urban areas. These actions can also more easily be connected to objectives related to climate mitigation, health, biodiversity, and wellbeing.
How to use the Adaptation Pyramid?
The Adaptation Pyramid is a great concept to use during discussions about your climate adaptation goals. The pyramid can help you define concrete measures and goals for climate adaptation together. You can also use it to assess whether your current goals need to be adjusted to work towards a more climate-resilient system. In practice, we often see that the focus is mainly on the second layer of the pyramid (often technical measures), while there is still little attention to the other layers. In addition, the pyramid can be used to get colleagues involved in adaptation projects or to encourage regional cooperation.
Use on national policy level in the Netherlands
We use the Adaptation Pyramid in various workshops in the Netherlands and abroad. It is also used as a tool within the national Delta Programme for Spatial Adaptation (DPRA). The approach helps the government on a local, regional and national level to make climate adaptation goals more concrete. The DPRA steering group encourages all governments to use the Adaptation Pyramid in their risk dialogues.
Want to start using the pyramid yourself?
Would you like to start working with the Adaptation Pyramid? For example, to get a shared view with different stakeholders of where you stand? Or to decide together what needs to change to make your system more climate-proof? Please get in touch with us. Soon, a download link will be available on this page with helpful materials to guide you in running a workshop using the pyramid approach.
Development of the Pyramid concept
We developed the Adaptation Pyramid in response to a request from various governments in the Netherlands for a tool to think more strategically about adaptation strategies and how to monitor its progress. Organisations that helped to co-develop the Adaptation Pyramid include the Delfland District Water Board, Vallei en Veluwe District Water Board, and the municipalities of Dordrecht, Ede, Apeldoorn, and Wageningen, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water, and the various stakeholders in the EU funded projects REACHOUT and Safe4All.
Further reading
Want to dive deeper? Please download the brochure or visit the REACHOUT website for more information and materials: https://triple-a-toolkit.eu/post_type_toolkit/adaptation-pyramid/. Or read one of the following articles:
- Kelder et al., How to stop being surprised by unprecedented weather. In: Nature Communications (2025).
- Gaby Langendijk a, Eva Boon b, Hasse Goosen b, Ad Jeuken a, Saioa Zorita Castresana c, Nieves Pena Cerezo c, Jaroslav Mysiak d e, Leon Kapetas f, Ambition setting through climate services to drive climate resilient development. In: Climate Services Volume 38, April 2025.
- Swart, R., Timmermans, W., Boon, E., Van Ginkel, M., Goosen, H., Van Veldhoven, F., Cilliers, J., Ndaguba, E., Can Managing Climate Risks Be a Catalyst for Broader Transformative Change?. In: Social Sciences, 2023.