UK Adaptation Inventory

Summary

The UK Adaptation Inventory (Jenkins et al., 2021) has been compiled as part of the OpenCLIM project (OpenCLIM | Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research). The UK is considered to be at the forefront of national adaptation planning. However, the extent to which plans and programmes translate into tangible risk reducing action on the ground, as opposed to adaptive capacity building, remains less clear. The UK Adaptation Inventory aims to address this by documenting adaptation on the ground, based on national reporting to government by public and private sector organisations and a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature.

What is the toolkit for?

The UK Adaptation Inventory was designed to help identify and extract information on implemented adaptation action from public and private sector reports and peer-reviewed literature. By extracting this information it can help inform other organisations about adaptation options that are available and provide case studies of actions in practice to help support decision-making.

Who is the toolkit for?

The Toolkit can be used by academics interested in they types of adaptation that could be considered within risk modelling; decision-makers thinking about, or in the process of, developing adaptation plans; or policymakers who may wish to ensure that policies, programmes, and projects are resilient to climate change. It can be used to explore how others have adapted and learn from this practice and to create a list of different adaptation actions that could be considered for implementation.

Key features

The UK Adaptation Inventory focuses on examples of delivering adaptation action ‘on the ground’. The definition of adaptation action on the ground used here relates to a process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, where actions reflect a tangible and physical change in response that delivers adaptation action as opposed to building adaptive capacity (UKCIP, 2018).

The User can explore >400 examples of implemented adaptation actions that cut across different sectors, hazards and risks to see why and how others have adapted and use this information to think about their own options for adaptation.

Instructions for use

The User can scroll through all entries in the Inventory, or filter entries based on one or more categories on sector, hazard, or risk. The entries will automatically update based on the search criteria. The User can also search for entries by typing directly into the search box.

The table displays information on the hazard, risk, sector, type of adaptation, and a further description of the adaptation action. Selecting an entry (which will then be highlighted in blue) provides further information related to the adaptation action, displayed on the right-hand side of the screen.

The search results can be downloaded as a .csv or .pdf file by clicking on the Export buttons.

Transformational Adaptation Themes the toolkit helps with …

Active engagement

Lasting change depends on genuine collaboration with communities. This pillar is about working together over time, recognising that emotions and values shape how people see risk, and building a shared vision for the future of each place.

Long-term change and monitoring transformation

Because the future is uncertain, adaptation must be flexible and able to evolve. This pillar is about designing actions that can adjust to changing conditions, acting quickly where risks are greatest, and learning continuously through open and transparent monitoring.