Climate Adaptation Decision Support Strategies: Developing a National Agenda (LAPS 2 Final Report - 5 June 2014)

Organisations in the public, private and community sectors are increasingly seeking guidance to incorporate climate variability and change more effectively into their planning and decision making. This includes adaptation to increasing risks from extreme weather events, and the more subtle but insistent slow onset changes such as increasing temperatures, sea level rise, ocean acidification and changes to rainfall patterns. A previous study (the Leading Adaptation Practices and Support or LAPS project), analysed Australian and international adaptation decision support programs and products, and concluded that adaptation effort is at a watershed, not least of all in Australia. Recent growth in experience and research is supporting progress by early adopters, but this has not yet brought about systemic change. There has been limited movement from assessment to action, the decision support effort is highly fragmented, and many of the initial government support programs have reached or are reaching their end point. The study recommended a number of strategies to address these issues. This follow up project (LAPS 2) drives these strategies to the next level of specific proposals based on more detailed stakeholder experience, input, analysis and review. The proposals are for Australia, but also draw explicitly on broader international experience and findings. It is clear that although adaptation decision making is most usually a local issue, decision makers and their advisers would gain much-needed guidance and confidence from a well-defined set of nationally led or facilitated support initiatives. This report identifies in some detail the range of stakeholder needs, the current provision of support, and the gaps to be addressed. It then recommends a number of practical and immediate initiatives that together constitute a cohesive national strategy that is well connected to sector, jurisdictional, regional and local needs and initiatives. The approach builds wherever possible on current investments. The highest priority is the development of an up to date, flexible and authoritative national adaptation process guide and associated knowledge platform, incorporating best practices and credible information sources. It is further proposed that this be complemented by the parallel stakeholder-led development of effective national, sectoral and regional communities of practice and knowledge brokering; and guided by a national strategic coalition across private, public and community sectors to foster leadership, and facilitate continuity, coordination and collaboration.This report was commisioned by Australian National Universit