These constraints are leading to a soft limit to adaptation, where risks would become unreasonable as sea levels continue to rise and practicable and affordable adaptation options are limited to currently available approaches. This soft limit could be overcome through addressing constraints and allowing further adaptation to take place, such as providing financial, technical and human resources for more effective coastal protection and drainage systems that would reduce flooding. However, if the effectiveness of these new adaptation measures decreases as sea levels rise further and if constraints are not able to be overcome, another soft limit may be reached. Eventually, if constraints are not addressed, no further adaptation measures are implemented, and climate hazards intensify, the area could become uninhabitable. This would then be a hard limit for adaptation; there would be no adaptation options available that would allow the community to sustain livelihoods and way of life in its present location. This hard limit to adaptation may necessitate abandoning the objective of remaining in the community. The objective of the community may then transform to sustaining their livelihoods in a less vulnerable location, which would necessitate relocation. However, such transformation of the community's objectives may be hindered by the expressed resistance of residents to migrate, due to their strong sense of place.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report