We have a strong grounding in the scientific drivers of climate change and a practical understanding of the impacts climate change is likely to have across all sectors of society.
We specialise in developing engagements designed to develop a shared understanding and stimulate action planning by stakeholders around the vulnerabilities to climate change.
Our experience in undertaking climate change adaptation work is broad, covering local to international settings in both urban and rural contexts and includes the water sector, behavioural change initiatives, social, institutional and ecological resilience, buildings and cities, resource management and international development issues.
Expertise areas
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Vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessments
Successful adaptation strategies reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change while avoiding maladaptation.
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Ecosystem-based adaptation
Examining wicked problems at the point where human and natural systems meet.
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Transformational system change
Informing deep transformational change for the environment, society, economics and governance.
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Informing adaptation policy and practice
Developing an evidence base for fundamental and well-planned change to inform adaptation action and supporting policy.
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Organisational adaptation
Helping to understand and accelerate how organisations develop capabilities to identify and implement climate adaptations.
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International climate adaptation experience
Working alongside our global neighbours, co-developing knowledge and sharing expertise as we rapidly respond to similar climate change impacts.
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Community adaptation and resilience
Helping communities to cope with the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
Research news and projects
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IMPACT STORY
Enabling regional adaptation to climate change
ISF researchers use systems thinking to help guide regional New South Wales to identify and plan for the flow-on effects of climate change.
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ISF at Climate Action Week SydneyISF hosted two panels for Climate Action Week Sydney 2024, contributing to the event's week-long focus on climate.
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NEWS | December 2023
New guidance to help Australian communities be ‘summer resilient’
Researchers have developed a community energy resilience toolkit to make communities safer and stronger together ahead of the bushfire season.
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Ensuring resilience of natural resources to extreme climate eventsISF worked with eight regional and rural communities in NSW understand the impacts of extreme weather on natural resources, and find ways to address them.
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PROJECT | 2015-2019
Climate Adapted People Shelters
Designing bus shelters that will protect our most vulnerable citizens during extreme weather conditions.
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Uncovering community engagement networks for adaptationOur analysis of the way people within communities receive and share knowledge sought to inform better community engagement with climate change adaptation policy.
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PROJECTS
Adaptive Communities Nodes: preparing for a future in flux
A multi-faceted project impacts policy and empowers communities, businesses and government to meet the effects of climate change head-on.
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PROJECT | 2019
Industry transformation in response to climate change
Extreme weather events can have devastating and disruptive impacts for small- and medium-sized businesses.
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Community perceptions of hybrid solar biomass: the potential for social license and social acceptanceFinding out communities' attitudes towards biomass will help to plan renewable energy innovations in the Riverina and Hunter Valley regions.
Team
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Research DirectorClimate change adaptation, disaster risk management and development in the Asia-Pacific region.
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Research PrincipalGreen infrastructure in urban geographies, vegetation and localised heat, health and wellbeing, and ecosystem services.
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Senior Research ConsultantPeri-urban agriculture, social and institutional dimensions of market-based mechanisms for the protection of the environment.
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Professor and Research DirectorWater supply and demand planning, including drought response strategies, climate change and water resource management.
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Research DirectorCircular economy and increasing climate resilience and disaster risk reduction in small and medium-sized enterprises.
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