Climate change adaptation support tools in Australia

Abstract

A variety of climate change adaptation support tools (CCASTs) have become available to support adaptation, but there is limited information about the types of tools available, their aims or their effectiveness. We reviewed the CCASTs currently in use, or in development, in Australia in order to identify those most used, the areas covered and the key knowledge gaps where development of new support tools is required. To ascertain the effectiveness of the CCASTs, we contacted CCAST developers/owners and logged evidence of uptake and/or evaluations already produced. We identified a total of 85 CCASTs, 65 in Australia and 20 selected international examples. Over half of the support tools identified in Australia were found to be associated with the infrastructure and planning and local government sectors. Biodiversity and business sectors offered the fewest CCASTs, 3 and 2 %, respectively. The majority of Australian CCASTs were developed at State and local government levels, presumably because adaptation tools are most applicable at local scales. Interestingly, the number of CCASTs showed a marked increase from 2007 onwards, with approximately 30 % of those recorded being currently in development. In Australia, the prevalent adaptation activity, and CCAST type, presently taking place is the identification and assessment of climate change risks. Knowledge gaps identified were for support tools providing guidance on: costing and prioritising adaptation options, evaluating and monitoring adaptation measures, conducting vulnerability assessments, facilitating adaptation for vulnerable species and ecosystems. Most organisations are at the early stages of adaptation: assessing climate risks and beginning to formulate adaptation options.