Beyond adjustment: A new paradigm for climate change adaptation in a complex world

• Ambiguity and risk narratives dominate high-level definitions of adaptation. • Current debates call for a paradigm shift in climate adaptation. • We interview 50 global experts with 950 years of combined experience. • We identify 4 narratives, 4 realisations, and 2 catalysts shaping evolving views. • We propose an adaptation heuristic framework to fit current thought and practice. Climate change adaptation is central to political and scientific agendas that aim to reduce the impacts of a warming world. However, despite three decades of research and practice, adaptation remains conceptually ambiguous, lacking a clear and comprehensive definition that enables effective on-the-ground action. The foundational idea that adaptation is the process of adjusting to climate and its effects remains central to scientific advancements in the field. Yet, emerging paradigms like adaptation as justice, resilience, or development are gaining traction, reflecting a much larger variety of local needs, knowledge systems, and lived experiences. To examine the notion of adaptation through these evolving lenses, we conducted 50 in-depth interviews with key internationally recognised experts in climate adaptation, including scientists and practitioners from around the globe, with 950 years of combined experience. Over 36 h of interview time, we explored their career trajectories and evolving views to identify key narratives, realisations and catalysts that shifted their conceptualisation and practice of adaptation. Our findings support an updated heuristic framework for adaptation as a process of responding to climate change and its impacts by integrating risk reduction into broader development strategies, ensuring that all individuals can maintain dignified lives in the face of climate challenges. The framework acknowledges the inherent complexity and limitations of adaptation, blending systemic governance with psychosocial insights to address power dynamics and uphold the fundamental right to survival. Findings call for a reconceptualisation of adaptation beyond mere adjustment to risks, in response to shifting paradigms in contemporary adaptation thought and practice.