Tracking progress: Insights from the Australian Adaptation Database

How are Australians adapting to climate change – and how do we know? The Australian Adaptation Database is providing a clearer picture of the actions being taken to adapt to climate impacts across Australia. Developed through the NESP Climate Systems Hub, the database captures a sample of real-world adaptation efforts across sectors, locations, and scales. Join us as we walk through how the database was built, what it can tell us, and how it can support decision-making across all levels of government. We'll explore how the tool is being used to track national progress, characterise adaptation trends, and inform planning and policy – from local councils to national reports. We'll also share what's next, including opportunities to contribute your own work to the database.

Image: Australian Adaptation Database screenshot

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Tanya Wilkins

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Speaker bios:

Tia Brullo | tia.brullo@unimelb.edu.au

Tia is a human geographer with research interests in climate change adaptation, and monitoring and evaluation.

She is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, working with the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Climate Systems Hub. Tia’s research takes a pragmatic approach to understanding climate change adaptation in Australia, working with government stakeholders and adaptation practitioners to design tangible knowledge outputs. Through the Enabling Best Practice Adaptation project Tia has been exploring factors which enable best practice and how these can be promoted. In previous roles Tia has worked in impact evaluation for non-profit organisations and in international disaster response with the Australian Red Cross. Tia has also conducted research analysing the distribution and inequality of urban greening in greater Melbourne.

Jon Barnett | jbarn@unimelb.edu.au

Jon Barnett is Professor in the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Melbourne University. He is a political geographer whose research investigates social impacts and responses to environmental change.

Jon has over twenty-five years of experience conducting field-based research on social vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in Australia, China, Timor-Leste and Pacific Island Countries. Jon’s research is now strongly focussed on enabling responses to environmental change that promote social justice and peace.

Jon co-directs the Oceania Institute at The University of Melbourne and is the panel member for climate change adaptation on the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) to the Global Environment Facility (GEF). He previously served for six years as editor of Global Environmental Change and was a Lead Author for the chapter on Human Security in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.

Elissa Waters | elissa.waters@monash.edu

Elissa is a political geographer and lecturer in Human Geography. Her research focuses on the social and political dimensions of climate change adaptation and disaster governance in Australia and the Pacific.

In the Pacific context this work is focused on policy development for climate change adaptation and vulnerability in small island states. Within Australia, Elissa has 15 years of experience working with governments at state and national levels to provide research and advice on climate change adaptation, particularly with respect to sea level rise and coastal management. She is currently a CI on the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub project Enabling Best Practice Adaptation in Australia.