Understanding possible adaptation options in response to climate change

This report documents the state of knowledge of the secondary, or indirect, impacts of climate change and prioritises topics for investigation in the MD-WERP climate adaption theme.

Science and research

MD-WERP theme	Climate adaptation
MD-WERP theme 1 project	Climate adaptation showcasing adaptability
Research lead	CSIRO and Deakin University
Authors	David Robertson, Rebecca Lester, Geoffrey Adams and David Dodemaide
Author contact details	David Robertson Rebecca Lester
Date of publication	September 2022
Report full title	Understanding possible adaptation options in response to climate change
Keywords	climate change; adaptation; Murray–Darling Basin; water management; hydrological impacts; river system models; water security; environmental outcomes; community resilience; aboriginal water rights
Summary of output	Climate change projections indicate that the Murray–Darling Basin will be hotter, with lower average annual rainfall and reduced runoff but an increased number of extreme events. The combination of these impacts means that adaptations are likely to be required to maintain the resilience of the communities and environment. This report reviewed the adaptation options to mitigate climate change impacts on basin outcomes being considered by institutions and develop a system to classify these options. This report provides a conceptual foundation for characterising and analysing climate adaptation options currently considered by industries, institutions and communities in the Basin. It also reviews how evidence for the impacts of adaptation options can be complied with to support policy making, focusing on the role of river system models.
Key findings / recommendations	A classification system of climate change adaptation options has been developed based on options currently considered by the Basin’s water management institutions. Adaptation options are categorised according to the objectives they seek to address in a changing climate and by a range of additional dimensions. Most adaptation options currently considered are focused on a river reach or regional scale, with short implementation times and are likely to deliver benefits rapidly with a high degree of confidence. There is an opportunity for future MD-WERP case studies to investigate wider consequences of adaptation outcomes to assess regional to whole-of-basin outcomes. Whilst most adaptation options reviewed can be represented in river system models, a gap was identified in the ability to translate hydrological metrics to indicators of Basin outcomes. This gap could be addressed by using models and other tools to post-process hydrological time-series generation by river system models, such as those being developed in the MD-WERP climate adaptation toolkit, HydroBOT.
Target audience	Water managers, researchers, Australian Government, state governments, local governments, water and environmental consultants

Report
Publication title	Published	File type	File size
Understanding possible adaptation options in response to climate change	06 Dec 2023	PDF	1.25 MB

Published date: 19 May 2025