Sharing Climate Adaptation Tools: Improving decision-making for development

The report details a workshop where 40 participants discussed a variety of climate adaptation tools, ranging from information databases to computer-based decision tools and qualitative risk management processes. It identifies a general trend of integrating climate impacts as additional stressors into existing decision-making structures and highlights a gap in tools targeting the middle ground between grassroots communities and senior officials. The document also lists specific tools such as PRECIS, CRiSTAL, and ADAPT, comparing their audiences, spatial scales, and data types.

• The workshop revealed that collaboration is primarily occurring within the research community and that tools are generally designed for specific niche approaches or user groups, which has limited the occurrence of inefficient replication.
• A common methodology has emerged where climate-related impacts are treated as an additional stressor, meaning adaptive responses should be integrated into existing priorities, languages, and decision-making structures.
• There is a significant deficiency in available tools for users positioned between grassroots community levels and senior officials, specifically missing targets such as local government, private sector small and medium size enterprises, and traditional local leaders.
• The report categorizes adaptation tools into three main types: information generation/databases (e.g., PRECIS, CAIT), computer-based decision tools (e.g., CRiSTAL, ADAPT), and adaptation/risk management processes (e.g., USAID Guidance Manual, ORCHID).
• The workshop was intended to support international efforts to create generic guidance for screening development assistance, specifically in response to requests from the OECD, the World Bank under the G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action, and the UNFCCC Nairobi Work Programme.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2007). Sharing Climate Adaptation Tools: Improving decision-making for development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sharing_climate_adaptation_tools.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Sharing Climate Adaptation Tools: Improving decision-making for development. 2007. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sharing_climate_adaptation_tools.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Sharing Climate Adaptation Tools: Improving decision-making for development |date=2007 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sharing_climate_adaptation_tools.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2007sharing, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Sharing Climate Adaptation Tools: Improving decision-making for development}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2007}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sharing_climate_adaptation_tools.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }