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Adaptation

Taking action to avoid, withstand or benefit from current and projected climate changes and impacts.

Adaptive capacity

Adaptive capacity is the ability to adjust to climate change impacts (including climate variability and extremes), moderate potential damages, take advantage of opportunities, or cope with consequences.

In determining adaptive capacity, consideration is given to what extent a feature or function in its current form, with current management practices or funding, is able to continue to function, cope or adjust to the expected climate conditions.

Adaptation Pathways

An approach to adaptation planning which enables the consideration of a range of possible adaptation options, how they will be impacted by climate change through time, and whether any options have a “expiry date” (i.e. a point in time at which they are no longer viable). A key aspect of this approach is the identification of a preferred pathway which identifies those options to be progressed now and into the future based on currently available information.

Climate

Climate summarises the average, range and variability of weather elements, e.g. precipitation, wind speed, air temperature, humidity, and sunshine hours (solar radiation), observed over many years (typically > 30 years) at a location or across an area.

Climate change

Climate change refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity.

Climate variable

Climate variables are different climate impacts projected for a particular timeframe and include increased frequency of bushfire, coastal inundation, reduced rainfall, rainfall intensity, temperature increase, increased frequency of heatwaves, increased temperature of Gulf waters etc.

Exposure

Exposure considers the likelihood of a feature or its function being subjected to a climate variable. For example, beaches are exposed to coastal inundation, but not exposed to increased frequency of bushfires.

IPCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Maladaptation

Maladaptation occurs when an attempt to adapt produces unintended negative consequences.

Mitigation

Taking action to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases.

Model of Receptivity

A tool for considering factors influencing the willingness and ability of organisations to change behaviours and practices which proposes that for change to occur, capacity must exist or be created across the four attributes of awareness, association, acquisition and application.

Receptivity

The willingness and capability to receive information and the capacity for acting upon that information.

Resilience

Similar to ‘Adaptive Capacity, is the ability of a social or ecological system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning, the capacity for self- organisation, and the capacity to adapt to stress and change.

Sensitivity

The degree to which a characteristic/feature or its functions are affected by a climate variable.

For example, the quality of open space is sensitive to reduced rainfall, dunes are sensitive to coastal inundation, built structures are sensitive to bushfires.

Vulnerability

The degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change. Vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is a function of exposure to climate conditions, sensitivity to those conditions, and the capacity to adapt to the changes.