Such actions encompass events such as coastal inundation, erosion, shoreline recession, sea level rise, and tsunami.

A solid structure, usually a pier or wall, which provides support to an arch, bridge, or vault.

Accommodation refers to adaptation strategies that allow continued use of coastal areas while modifying assets, behaviours or management practices to reduce vulnerability to climate hazards, rather than avoiding or retreating from those areas.

Coasts that are marked by a deposition of sand instead of erosion. Accretion occurs during the calmer seasons. Beach accretion is generally much slower than beach erosion.

Natural accretion is the build-up of land, solely by the action of the forces of nature, on a beach by deposition of water or airborne material. Artificial accretion is a similar build-up of land by reason of an act of man, such as the accretion formed by a groyne or breakwater, or beach fill deposited by mechanical means.

Acid sulphate soil is the common name for soils that contain metal sulphides. In an undisturbed and waterlogged state, these soils may pose no or low risk. However, when disturbed or exposed to oxygen, acid sulphate soils undergo a chemical reaction known as oxidation. Oxidation produces sulfuric acid which has led to these soils being called acid sulphate soils.

see ocean acidification

The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment.

An analytical approach to planning that explores and sequences a set of possible actions that are based on external developments over time.

The ability of systems, institutions, humans, and other organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to respond to consequences.

A process of iteratively planning, implementing, and modifying strategies for managing resources in the face of uncertainty and change. Adaptive management involves adjusting approaches in response to observations of their effect and changes in the system brought on by resulting feedback effects and other variables.

Administrative law is the body of law that allows citizens to challenge decisions made by government officials

Wind-borne; applied to the processes of erosion, transport, and deposition of material due to the action of the wind at or near the Earth’s surface.

Probability of this risk cannot be calculated with precision, e.g. terrorist attacks, natural disasters and political upheaval.

AEP - The probability associated with a given event being exceeded in any one year. For example, an event with an AEP of 0.1 has a 10% chance of occurring every year

Adaptation that takes place before the impacts of climate change are observed.

Aragonite is a mineral and, like calcite, it contains calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) but it has a different crystal structure. Aragonite forms orthorhombic crystals, whereas calcite is trigonal. Aragonite forms the shells of some marine organisms.

Studies on the impact of ocean acidification on coral and algae calcification are mainly reported as a factor of the concentration of carbonate ion [CO₃] or its surrogate aragonite saturation state, known as Ωa. If Ωa > 1, seawater is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and conditions are favourable for CaCO3 precipitation, the process necessary to form corals; conversely, if Ωa < 1, seawater is undersaturated with respect to CaCO₃ and the dissolution of CaCO₃ is favoured

Rock or concrete blocks designed to form the outer protective layer for a breakwater or seawall.

An influential typology that can be helpful in clarifying the degree of citizen/service user participation involved in particular services or contexts. Arnstein identified eight levels of citizen participation, classified according to whether she regarded them as examples of non-participation, tokenism, or citizen power.

Artificial structures to provide habitat for reef organisms, including soft and stony corals and the fishes and invertebrates that live among them.

Ascribed (or assigned) values are second-order preferences, generally associated with goods or services that individuals are prepared to ascribe relative values to and make trade-offs between.

The periodic rise and fall of water along the coast due to gravitational interactions between the moon, sun and the earth.

The Australian Height Datum (AHD) forms the vertical geodetic datum for Australia and is thus the framework for all heights, including those used to establish digital elevation models (DEMs).

Adaptation in response to experienced climate and its effects, without planning explicitly or consciously focused on addressing climate change. Also referred to as spontaneous adaptation.

See also anticipatory adaptation.

ARI -The expected time between the events that exceed a given value (for example rainfall or wave height). Also referred to as the ‘return period’, it is usually expressed in years. For example, the 1-in-100-year rainfall experienced during a storm event will on average only be exceeded once every 100 years. However, it does not mean it cannot happen more or less frequently than every 100 years.

The average time taken for the passage of two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.

Avoidance in adaptation involves reducing or eliminating exposure to future coastal climate hazards by preventing new development or intensification of assets in areas that are likely to become increasingly exposed to inundation, erosion or storm impacts under climate change.

A form of debt finance where money is borrowed based on the cash flows and assets of an entire organisation.

The edge of a landform adjacent to a waterbody, which has been primarily formed by the action of water currents (rather than waves). Typically. banks occur on rivers, streams and estuaries, although they may also occur on ocean coasts subject to strong tidal action.

Change in coastal water level as a consequence of the overlying air pressure.

See tidal barrage

This approach uses projected sea level rise heights overlaid on the elevation of the land surface. As the name suggests, this approach is similar to filling a bathtub, water is added (representing sea level rise) and rises uniformly. As a result, any land surfaces at a lower elevation than the increased sea surface are considered to be inundated.

The study and mapping of seafloor topography. It involves obtaining measurements of the depth of the ocean and is equivalent to mapping the topography on land.

BBN - Statistical model that integrates knowledge and information from multiple sources into a single assessment. This is achieved by describing (in a probabilistic manner) the cause-and-effect relationships between different factors.

Also called Baysian Models

The zone of unconsolidated material that extends landward from the low water line to the place where there is marked change in material or physiographic form, or to the line of permanent vegetation (usually the effective limit of storm waves). The seaward limit of a beach – unless otherwise specified – is the mean low water line. A beach includes foreshore and backshore.

The artificial lowering of the water table within beaches by a system of drains and pumps.

Removal of material from the shoreline and adjacent areas, and results in a landward displacement of the shoreline, either temporarily or semi-permanently

The deliberate addition of sand to beaches where erosion is a major problem, in order to stabilize losses and restore badly eroded (and sometimes unsightly) beaches. Also known as beach nourishment.

A cross-section taken perpendicular to a given beach contour; the profile may include the face of a dune or sea wall, extend over the backshore, across the foreshore, and seaward underwater into the nearshore zone.

The deliberate addition of sand to beaches where erosion is a major problem, in order to stabilize losses and restore badly eroded (and sometimes unsightly) beaches. Also known as beach nourishment.

The sum of all the benefits divided by the sum of all the costs (all expressed as the present-day equivalent of values).

BT - The results of one study are used to inform decision-making in another location based on assumptions about commonalities across the two locations.

A measure of the amount of oxygen that organisms would require to decompose the organic material in an estuary and is indicative of pollution levels.

Mollusc animals with two hinged shells e.g. mussels, cockles, and oysters.

Component of the sewage that originates from toilets.

The carbon stored and sequestered in mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and tidal salt marshes.

The network of waterways and water bodies within an urban or natural landscape, including rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. These water systems deliver environment economic and social values to communities.

A form of debt finance where an organisation that requires money issues bonds to a public market. The bond issue will have specific characteristics such as the repayment timing and interest rate.

Private sector builds, owns and operates infrastructure with public sector involvement.

Private sector builds, owns, operates and then transfers infrastructure to public sector.

Private sector builds and operates the infrastructure and then transfers it to the public sector.

A structure protecting a shore area, harbour, anchorage or basin from waves. The most common breakwaters are in the form of a sloping wall protected by rocks or concrete armour units.

The Bruun Rule is commonly used to explain the erosion of sandy shores in response to sea level rise. It is expressed as a ratio between a rise in sea level and the extent of recession on a sandy shoreline with no cliff or platform impeding landward movement. A 1 cm rise in sea level will lead to approximately 1 m retreat of the coastline.

Aquatic invertebrate animal of the group Bryozoa, which form colonies that looks a bit like mossy growths on rocks, seaweeds, etc.

This approach uses projected sea level rise heights overlaid on the elevation of the land surface. As the name suggests, this approach is similar to filling a bathtub, water is added (representing sea level rise) and rises uniformly. As a result, any land surfaces at a lower elevation than the increased sea surface are considered to be inundated.

All the structures people have built and consider to be separate from the natural environment.

The ownership, administration and boundaries between land parcels.

Formation and deposition of calcium carbonate by marine organisms to form hard body parts. The majority of marine calcification occurs in planktonic organisms.

Capital that insurers are required by law to maintain to cover a particular percentage of their aggregated expected losses.

A colourless, odourless gas that occurs naturally and is also emitted by fossil fuel combustion and land clearing. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by about 31% since the Industrial Revolution. It is the main anthropogenic influence on greenhouse gas affecting climate change.

A mineral that is mostly found in limestones and dolomites (such as calcite).

These are 'from extreme weather/climate events occur when an extreme hazard generates a sequence of secondary events in natural and human systems that result in physical, natural, social or economic disruption, whereby the resulting impact is significantly larger than the initial impact. Cascading impacts are complex and multi-dimensional, and are associated more with the magnitude of vulnerability than with that of the hazard' (IPCC),

An area of land which, through run-off or percolation, contributes to the water in a stream or stream system.

Sediments derived via catchment erosion, biological activity and/or aeolian (wind- borne) transport.

An exercise whereby respondents are presented with a series of choices between bundles of environmental goods at different prices based on the status quo. Choices reveal the importance of certain attributes and the monetary values attached to each one – revealing either a willingness to pay to preserve a certain asset or willingness to accept a payment for the loss of access to an asset.

Climate relates to the average weather over a period of months to thousands or millions of years.

Climate change refers to long-term alterations in the state of the climate, identifiable through shifts in the average conditions and/or variability of climate properties - often confirmed through statistical analysis. These changes typically persist for decades or longer.
Climate change can result from natural internal processes or external factors, such as variations in solar cycles, volcanic activity, or ongoing human-induced changes to atmospheric composition and land use.

The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects.

In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.

A plausible and often simplified representation of the future climate, based on an internally consistent set of climatological relationships that has been constructed for explicit use in investigating the potential consequences of anthropogenic climate change, often serving as input to impact models.

This is the recorded information about long-term weather conditions and patterns in a specific location or region. It includes things like temperature, precipitation, wind speed, humidity, and other atmospheric variables.

This broadly includes many types of sources that are based on scientific information ranging from datasets to guidance material. It includes research products such as academics papers, presentations, webinars.

Climate legal risk is the risk of exposure to legal action that accompanies a decision that relates to climate change impacts. It encompasses the above elements of factual and legal uncertainty, and specifically concerns the risk arising from legal duties and obligations as they relate to the impacts of climate change.

A numerical representation of the climate system based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of its components, their interactions and feedback processes, and accounting for some of its known properties.

This is the simulated response of the climate system to a scenario of future emission or concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols, generally derived using climate models.

The potential, when the outcome is uncertain, for adverse consequences on lives, livelihoods, health, ecosystems and species, economic, social and cultural assets, services (including environmental services), and infrastructure.

A plausible and often simplified representation of the future climate, based on an internally consistent set of climatological relationships that has been constructed for explicit use in investigating the potential consequences of anthropogenic climate change, often serving as input to impact models.

A participatory approach that involves users in designing something of value and placing emphasis on the quality of relationships through principles like equity, power, and trust. It can also refer to equal partnerships and decision making between professionals and individuals with lived experience.

In CoastAdapt, we define, the coast as encompassing the area from the upper coastal catchments to the near-shore environment. This definition also includes offshore ecosystems such as coral reefs and islands, and inland areas which have a direct effect on the coast.

The modification of behaviour through construction of infrastructure or change in land-use practices that prevents or reduces adverse impacts associated with coastal hazards.

An area of coast bounded along shore by large geologic structures, changes in geology or geomorphic features.

Erosion occurs when winds, waves and coastal currents act to shift sediments away from an area of the shore, often during a storm. In most locations, this is a short-term process and the shore gradually regains sediment over time.

The physical structures, processes and patterns associated with the coast, including landforms, soils, geology and the factors that influence them.

The interaction of coastal processes with human use, property or infrastructure, the action of which adversely affects or may adversely affect human life, property or assets.

A combination of marine and atmospheric processes causing the sea level at the coast to be raised above its normal elevation, resulting in the flooding of normally ‘dry’ land.

These are shallow brackish or marine bodies separated from the ocean by a barrier island, spit, reef, or sand bank and connected at least intermittently to the open ocean by one or more restricted tidal inlets.

Marine, physical, meteorological and biological activities that interact with the geology and sediments to produce a particular coastal system.

A continuing landward movement of the shoreline or a net landward movement of the shoreline within a specified time.

A length of coast and adjacent areas within which the movement of sediment is apparent through identification of land features that function as sediment sources, transport pathways and sediment sinks. Typically sediment exchange to adjacent cells is restricted, although cells are rarely isolated completely.

A meteorological event that results in elevated tidal heights as a result of high wind and increased wave heights.

A coastal landform comprising of a wide, near-horizontal surface, with steeper gradients above and below. Terraces typically occur as subtidal or inter-tidal features and are common on low energy estuary beaches.

The threat to coastal landforms, associated infrastructure, natural systems or land-use that may be caused by a sustained shift in environmental conditions.

This includes the foreshore and near-shore zone, and the coastal region that is likely to be affected by sea-level rise and marine-related climate change (storm surge and exposure to storms tracking inland from the sea).

This also includes the region adjacent to the coastline as well as estuaries which may be affected by processes such as riverine flooding.

This is caused by remote meteorological disturbances and can travel along continental shelves freely in the absence of wind effects.

A wave type where the crest remains unbroken while the lower part of front face steepens and then falls, producing an irregular turbulent water surface.

This prevails in England and its former colonies. It is based on the principles and rules of action, embodied in case law rather than legislative enactments, applicable to the government and protection of persons and property that derive their authority from the community customs and traditions that evolved over the centuries as interpreted by judicial tribunals.

A process of power and dialogue by which the aspirations, concerns, needs and values of the community are incorporated into policy development, planning, decision making, service delivery and assessment.

A combination of multiple drivers and/or hazards that contribute to societal or environmental risks (IPCC).

The result of an engineering structure or system failing. The result of an asset reaching functional failure.

This is a measure of changes, over time, in retail prices of a constant basket of goods and services representative of consumption expenditure by resident households

Loss of coral pigmentation through the loss of symbiotic algae (known as zooxanthellae) and/or loss of coral pigments.

Red algae that have an upright coralline growth form. They deposit calcium carbonate in their cell walls for protection from grazers and for strength.

An apparent force deflecting the motion of an object or a fluid moving over the surface of a rotating body such as a planet or star.

The quantification of the total social costs and benefits of a policy or a project, usually in monetary terms. It includes external costs, such as pollution, noise, and disturbance to wildlife, and external benefits such as reductions in travelling time or traffic accidents.

This compares the relative costs and outcomes (as opposed to financial benefits only) of two or more courses of action. CEA is most often used when benefits are unable to be monetised.

A standard experimental protocol for studying the output of coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models

The height of the highest part of a wave (crest) down to the bottom (trough).

The borrowed money that is paid back with interest within an agreed time frame. Includes both project finance and balance sheet finance.

A decile is one tenth of the values in a record. A decile map shows the extent that a climate variable is above average, average or below average for a specified period, in comparison with the entire record.

Coastline where a river forms a delta as it drains into the sea e.g. Nile River Delta.

The water depth beyond which repetitive profile or topographic surveys (collected over several years) do not detect vertical sea bed changes, generally considered the seaward limit of littoral transport. Note that this does not imply the lack of sediment motion beyond this depth.

The removal of salt from seawater used to provide potable water for drinking or irrigation purposes.

A hypothetical extreme storm with waves that coastal protection structures will often be designed to withstand. The severity of the storm (i.e. return period) is chosen in view of the acceptable level of risk of damage or failure. A design storm consists of a design wave condition, a design water level and a duration.

In the design of harbour works, coastal protection works etc., the type or types of waves selected as having the characteristics against which protection is desired.

An animal that feeds on dead material (known as detritus).

Particulate organic material from dead and decomposing organisms.

A model of communication based on dialogue.

(DEM) An array of regularly spaced elevation values referenced horizontally either to a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection, or to a geographic coordinate system.

Disaster resilience is the capacity to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of disasters.

A rate that is used to convert future costs or benefits to their present value, based on assumptions about how to discount or reduce the value of each in the future.

The practice of adjusting the values of benefits and costs of a project, activity or programme into a comparable unit at a particular point in time, usually the present.

Misleading information that is created and spread with intent to deceive.

A dissipative beach is gently sloping, running from the seaward edge of the forezone to the surfzone.

The level of oxygen that is available to support estuarine ecology.

The predominant direction of movement (towards) for sediment transported along the coast by the actions of waves and currents.

The predominant direction of movement (towards) for sediment transported along the coast by the actions of waves and currents.

DPSIR = Driving forces - Pressures - State - Impact - Responses. This approach can encourage and support decision-making, by pointing to clear steps in the causal chain where the chain can be broken by policy action.

Dredging is the removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors, and other water bodies.

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See also static sea levels

Intense low pressure system that occurs off the east coast of Australia, bringing storms, high waves and heavy rain. Generally occurs in autumn and winter off New South Wales, southern Queensland and eastern Victoria.

The extent to which an elliptical orbit departs from a circular one. It is usually expressed as a decimal fraction, regarding a circle as having an eccentricity of 0.

Ecologically sustainable development (ESD) is seen as development that aims to balance the needs of present and future generations. This balance (not trade-off) includes the protection of ecological processes, economic development, and the preservation of cultural and social wellbeing. The principle of ESD holds that decision- makers should seek to integrate these factors in any given decision to reach sustainable methods of development.

The rate at which a system regains structure and function following a stress or perturbation.

Ecological processes or functions having monetary or non-monetary value to individuals or society at large. These are frequently classified as (1) supporting services such as productivity or biodiversity maintenance, (2) provisioning services such as food, fibre, or fish, (3) regulating services such as climate regulation or carbon sequestration, and (4) cultural services such as tourism or spiritual and aesthetic appreciation.

Sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that enable people to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

El Niño is the warming of the oceans in the equatorial eastern and central Pacific. Over much of Australia, El Niño brings drought. See also El Niño Southern Oscillation.

(ENSO) Refers to widespread 2–7 year oscillations in atmospheric pressure, ocean temperatures and rainfall associated with El Niño (the warming of the oceans in the equatorial eastern and central Pacific) and its opposite, La Niña. Over much of Australia, La Niña brings above average rain, and El Niño brings drought.

This is a recess in the coastline forming a bay.

A plausible representation of the future development of emissions of substances that are potentially radiatively active (e. g. greenhouse gases, aerosols) based on a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions about driving forces (such as demographic and socioeconomic development, technological change, energy and land use) and their key relationships.

A synonym for 'climate change'. See climate change.

A plant that uses another plan for its physical support, but which does not draw nourishment from it.

Raising funds for an entity through the sale of partial ownership of the entity or an entity’s assets. This generally involves the transfer of shares for a price.

The wearing away of land by the action of natural forces. On a beach, the carrying away of beach material by wave action, tidal currents, littoral currents, or by deflation.

The part of a river that is affected by tides or the region near a river mouth in which the fresh water of the river mixes with the salt water of the sea.

The nutrient enrichment (usually by nitrates and phosphates) of an aquatic ecosystem, such that the productivity of the system ceases to be limited by the availability of nutrients. An increase in photosynthetic activity is often followed by a depletion of dissolved oxygen as plants die and are decomposed by aerobic organisms. Deoxygenation has an adverse effect on the aquatic animal life.

One way for populations or species to cope with environmental and other pressures is to adapt via selection acting on heritable traits.

The degree to which a system is exposed to a given hazard (e.g. sea level rise).

Costs that are external to the market. Many of the environmental, health and social impacts of climate change fall into this category.

Extremely high sea levels due to the combination of tides, storm surges and wind waves.

Storm for which characteristics (wave height, period, water level etc.) were derived by statistical ‘extreme value’ analysis. Typically, these are storms with average recurrence intervals (ARI) ranging from one to 100 years.

The application of decision-makers’ obligations and duties depend not only on an interpretation of the law and is a legal issue but also on the factual information available. Hence decisions may be uncertain with regard to these facts.

Distance or area of water over which the wind blows.

Process in which clay and other soil particles adhere to form larger groupings or aggregates.

The area of land that is expected to be inundated during a given flood event. Generally, flood zones are based on a flood event with a 100 year ARI, but can be determined for events with a shorter ARI such as a 20 year ARI.

Single-celled planktonic animal with a perforated chalky shell through which slender protrusions of protoplasm extend. Most kinds are marine, and when they die the breakdown of their shells form thick ocean-floor sediments.

Forblands are barren-looking stony deserts with a few scattered saltbushes, but when the rains come, many types of herbs germinate and blossom overnight.

When additional wind energy is offset by whitecapping so that the waves are no longer growing.

Non-preference-based values derived from a quantification of the biological or physical relation of one entity to another, for example, the value of nesting habitats for birds. Such values are free from human preferences and as such are outside the realm of valuation.

FCM - is a graphical representation of the knowledge about, or the perception, of a given system.

Gamification is using game-like elements such as points, rewards, challenges, and social competition to motivate socially-positive actions, improve awareness, and change behaviours.

A spanning framework structure. Used to span carriageways and rail tracks to display information; carry travelling cranes (gantry crane), bogies, and derricks at a raised level in an industrial workplace; carry pipework or provide a walkway at an elevated level.

A member of the Gastropoda class of molluscs, which includes snails and slugs. Gastropods have a head, unsegmented body, and a broad, flat foot.

General Climate Model or General Circulation Model (GCMs) are both names for the same numerical models that represent physical processes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and land surface, used for simulating the response of the global climate system to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations

The branch of physical geography that deals with the form of the Earth, the general configuration of its surface, the distribution of the land, water, etc.; or the investigation of the history of geologic changes through the interpretation of topographic forms.

Global warming refers to the gradual increase, observed or projected, in global surface temperature, as one of the consequences of radiative forcing caused by anthropogenic emissions.

Nature or landscape that provides ecosystem services e.g. parks

Gases that increase atmospheric temperature by selectively absorbing and emitting radiation. Principal greenhouse gases include: water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the monetary value of final goods and services – that is, those that are bought by the final user – produced in a country in a given period of time (say a quarter or a year). It counts all of the output generated within the borders of a country. GDP is composed of goods and services produced for sale in the market and also includes some nonmarket production, such as defence or education services provided by the government.

A shore protection structure built (usually perpendicular to the shoreline) to trap littoral drift or retard erosion of the shore.

Traditional engineering solutions. See also soft engineering

In the context of climate change, hazard refers to any potential occurrence of a natural or human-induced physical event that may cause damage to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision, environmental resources etc.

Where air temperatures in an urban environment are higher than those in the surrounding rural environment.

(HPM) Based on the premise that goods are valued for their utility, this method establishes a quantitative relationship between environmental attributes (e.g. a wide beach, a view etc.) and distributed markets such as the property market.

These are deeply held first-order values that influence subsequent, second-order (ascribed) values. Examples of held values are ideas of justice, identity, sustainability and freedom. These form the conceptual basis for decision making. These are difficult to quantify and attempts to do so tend to result in valuations that lack legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

(HAT) The highest level of water that can be predicted to occur under average meteorological conditions and any combination of astronomical conditions. This level may not be reached every year.

An epoch of the quaternary period, from the end of the Pleistocene, about 8,000 years ago to the present time.

The stock of knowledge, skills, and abilities that determine the labour productivity of an individual. Investment in human capital through education and training can increase the stock, and such investment is one of the sources of economic growth.

The response of ocean basins to loading of water.

Hydro-isostasy occurs during sea-level rise when seawater floods onto the continental shelves following the melting of the ice sheets (eustatic rise in sea level) and this depresses the sea floor and the adjacent land along the new coast rises resulting in a relative fall in sea level.

Produced by the International Association of Public Participation to help public administrators decide how deeply they need to engage with communities. The spectrum ranges from 'inform', 'consult', 'involve' and 'collaborate', to 'empower'.

A mass of land ice that is sufficiently deep to cover most of the underlying bedrock, so that its shape is mainly determined by the flow of the ice as it deforms internally and/or slides at its base.

A coastal water body that periodically alternates between being open and closed to the ocean.

Effects on natural and human systems of extreme weather and climate events and of climate change. Impacts generally refer to effects on lives, livelihoods, health, ecosystems, economies, societies, cultures, services, and infrastructure due to the interaction of climate changes or hazardous climate events occurring within a specific time period and the vulnerability of an exposed society or system.

A series of relatively small actions and adjustments aimed at continuing to meet the existing goals and expectations of the community in the face of the impacts of climate change.

A measure of the difference in sea surface temperature in the western and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. When positive, there is cooler than normal water in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean and warmer than normal water in the tropical western Indian Ocean.

Organisms that dig into the sea bed or construct tubes or burrows.

Waves with a longer wavelength than sea or swell waves with up to a kilometre between the wave crests.

Inherent risk is the potential risk before any controls are applied.

(See also residual risk)

The value or worth of objects that provide a means to some desirable end, thereby satisfying some human needs and wants.

The fundamental goal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is to maintain, restore or improve the quality of coastal zone ecosystems and the societies they support.

A set of soil fertility management practices that necessarily include the use of fertilizer, organic inputs and improved germplasm, combined with the knowledge on how to adapt these practices to local conditions, aimed at maximizing agronomic use efficiency of the applied nutrients and improving crop productivity. All inputs need to be managed in accordance with sound agronomic principles.

Graphical representations of the amount of water that falls within a given period of time in catchment areas.

Analysis of the amount of water that falls within a given period of time.

The Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) is a lengthy interdecadal fluctuation in atmospheric pressure. When the IPO is low, cooler than average sea surface temperatures occur over the central North Pacific, and vice versa.

The warm periods between ice age glaciations. The ‘Last Interglacial’ (before the current one), dated approximately 130,000 to 115,000 years ago.

Typically involve plunging breakers on the bar and the beach, and the dominant surf zone currents are feeder currents that travel alongshore for relatively short distances before turning and flowing offshore as rip currents.

A value system in which ecosystems or species have intrinsic rights to a healthful, sustaining condition that is on a par with human rights to satisfaction. The value of any action or object is measured by its contribution to maintaining the health and integrity of an ecosystem or species, per se, irrespective of human satisfaction.

Flooding in the coastal zone during a storm when low atmospheric pressure and onshore winds can cause storm surge and extreme wave heights along the coast, especially when these coincide with high tide.

The chance of flooding being experienced in a particular location is known as inundation risk. The level of risk can vary depending on the event being referenced. For example, a location may be at risk of inundation during an event with a 100 year ARI but not a 20 year ARI.

Isostasy is the state of gravitational equilibrium between the Earth’s crust and the mantle below.

The vertical movement of the land in response to loading and unloading due to processes such as erosion, deposition, water loading, desiccation, ice accumulation, and deglaciation

The practice of determining the probability of two or more events occurring at the same time. With respect to flooding and inundation, it usually relates to the probability of a downstream water level of high magnitude occurring at the same time as intense rainfall. It is a statistical tool that requires high quality datasets and the analysis is usually limited to events that occur at regionally regular intervals.

Judicial review is a narrow form of review. It allows the judge to consider only whether the decision-maker followed correct statutory procedures, and acted within their authority.

Any high water level that is well above the average, commonly applied to two tides that follow a new or full moon and that are the highest for the year (spring tides), one during summer and one in winter.

The cold phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO is basin-wide warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean - east of the dateline - associated with fluctuation of a global-scale tropical and subtropical surface pressure pattern known as the Southern Oscillation.

A naturally shaped feature of the Earth’s surface. Landforms range in size from small features apparent at a local scale to large structures apparent at a land system or regional scales.

Hydrologic connectivity across the landscape from floodplain to waterbody (as opposed to longitudinal connectivity up- and downstream, or vertical connectivity between ground and surface water.)

Greatly weathered and altered strata of tropical ground. Horizons are unclear and the nutrient status of the soil is low.

The liquid in which soil substances are dissolved during the process of leaching, which is the removal of material in solution.

The risk of legal consequences due to an organisation not considering the law, being uncertain about or mistaking the law, or being given poor legal advice.

The application of decision-makers’ obligations and duties depends on an interpretation of the law and is a legal issue. Hence decisions may be uncertain with regard to the law.

An infectious disease, caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira (especially L. icterohaemorrhagiae), that occurs in rodents, dogs, and other mammals and may be transmitted to people whose work brings them into contact with these animals.

Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging high resolution technology for measuring elevation. A type of aircraft-based remote sensing, using laser-driven pulses of light and multispectral cameras to scan and process digital information about a landscape.

Inability of adaptation to address the full extent of climate impacts.

Of or pertaining to a shore, especially of the sea. Often used as a general term for the coastal zone influenced by wave action, or, more specifically, the shore zone between the high and low water marks.

Refers to situations where existing infrastructure, technologies, or societal systems make it difficult or costly to transition or transform.

Longshore transport or drift is the movement of sand along the coastline. This movement of sand is influenced by the surf zone currents created by waves and the predominant wave direction.

The lowest level of water which can be predicted to occur under any combination of astronomical conditions.

A collective term used for seaweeds and other attached marine algae that are generally visible to the naked eye. Larger macroalgae are also referred to as 'seaweeds'.

An aquatic plant that is large enough to be seen with the naked eye. The term is often applied to aquatic mosses, ferns, and rooted plants.

A monsoon-related eastward movement of large regions of higher and lower tropical rainfall.

Mainstream in the context of climate adaptation aims to systematically include climate risks and adaptation considerations in regular decision-making and planning.

This is defined by the IPCC (2014) as ‘an action that may lead to increased risk of adverse climate-related outcomes, increased vulnerability to climate change, or diminished welfare, now or in the future’.

Barnett and O’Neill (2010) define maladaptation as “action taken ostensibly to avoid or reduce vulnerability to climate change that impacts adversely on, or increases the vulnerability of other systems, sectors or social groups”. They also suggest “five different types of maladaptation that can arise in the form of (1) increasing GHG emissions, (2) disproportionately burdening the most vulnerable, (3) high opportunity costs, (4) reducing incentives to adapt, and (5) path dependency.”

Actions that may lead to increased risk of adverse climate-related outcomes, increased vulnerability to climate change, or diminished welfare, now or in the future.

A management response to move existing coastal development and built infrastructure back from the danger of rising sea levels, erosion, and other coastal hazards. There are many political. social, and economic issues to address to undertake this response.

Sediments delivered from the continental shelf in front of the estuary. The sediments are transported due to the inequalities in tidal currents (ebb versus flood tide) to supply sediment on various timescales.

The average level of the surface of the sea, over a nominated period of time. A range of different periods are commonly used for averaging, including monthly, annual or over a 19-year tidal cycle.

A legal term, a merits review is a broader type of review, whereby the judge gets to ‘stand in the shoes’ of the original decision-maker, consider the evidence and the law afresh, and make a new decision.

The only tort that is solely against public authorities or persons holding public office. It consists of an abuse of power by a public authority or person holding public office that is affected by malice or bad faith and that deprives the plaintiff of some benefit or causes him/her some loss.

Information that is created and spread, regardless of whether there is intent to deceive.

Monitoring is a continuous or periodic process in which data on specific indicators are systematically collected to provide information about performance of a project. Evaluation is a systematic and objective feedback of a completed or ongoing action, aimed at providing information about design, implementation and performance. Learning is then using this information to improve future processes.

The expectation by an insured entity of coverage in the event of a disaster can act as a disincentive to take proactive action to reduce the potential impacts of that disaster.

These are ethical precepts or beliefs that determine the way people select actions and evaluate events e.g. power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, and security.

Both terns describe any structured approach used to determine overall preferences among alternative options, where the options accomplish several objectives. An MCA, desirable objectives are specified and corresponding attributes or indicators are identified.

This is any statistical technique used to analyse data that arises from more than one variable. This essentially models reality where each situation, product, or decision involves more than a single variable.

The stock of natural resources and environmental assets within an area, country, or the world, which includes water, soil, air, plants, animals, and minerals.

Negligence essentially consists of three elements: a duty of care was owed, that duty of care was breached, and this breach caused damage.

(NPV) A method of capital budgeting in which the value of an investment is calculated as the total present value of all cash inflows and cash outflows minus the cost of the initial investment.

(NSB) The sum of all the benefits less the sum of all the costs (all expressed as the present day equivalent of values).

The functional position of an organism in its environment, comprising the habitat in which the organism lives, the periods of time during which it occurs and is active there, and the resources it obtains there. In other words, its niche is the role that a species plays in a community.

A private nuisance is an unlawful interference with a person’s use or enjoyment of land, or some right over, or in connection with it. In a government context, a private nuisance claim may arise where some action or inaction on the part of government causes damage to someone’s land.

This is 'minor' or high-tide/low-impact flooding that leads to small-scale inundation that causes inconvenience, disruption or nuisance, rather than major damage or life-threatening hazards.

Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period, typically decades or longer, which is caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but can also be caused by other chemical additions or subtractions from the ocean.

Subspherical, sand-sized, carbonate particle that has concentric rings of calcium carbonate surrounding a nucleus of another particle.

The right, but not the obligation, to choose or act.

Orbital parameters affect the amount of insolation received by the Earth at various times.

A place where a river (or drainage pipe) discharges into the sea (or a treatment works).

This occurs when storm waves overtop the main barrier ridge or low foredunes, or when erosion and scarping of the base of high foredune are so severe that a breach is formed, and water and sediments are carried inland.

Wetland or marsh habitat.

Early action may create lock-in to a determined future pathway, which may be impossible to undo without prohibitive expense and effort.

(see adapative pathways)

Organisms that swim or drift in a sea or a lake, as distinct from those that live on the bottom.

A valve or sluice gate used to control the flow of water or the discharge of sewage, or a pipe or channel to supply water, typically under pressure, to something, for example, to a hydroelectric plant.

A non-tidal freshwater lake in silicious sand along coastal dunes that sits well above sea level and the water table and contained by an impermeable organic layer known as ‘coffee rock’.

A measure of acidity or alkalinity. A pH below 7 is acidic, and a pH greater than 7 is alkaline, or basic.

Study of how the timing and other aspects of periodic events, such as flowering in plants and breeding and migration in animals, are affected by climate and other environmental factors.

Capital in the form of physical goods, either fixed capital or stocks, and work in progress.

Aquatic organisms that drift with water movements, generally having no locomotive organs. Phytoplankton comprises mainly diatoms, which carry out photosynthesis and form the basis of the aquatic food-chains.

A collaborative, long-term approach to build thriving communities delivered in a defined geographic location. A way of working that puts communities at the centre.

A management response to move existing coastal development and built infrastructure back from the danger of rising sea levels, erosion, and other coastal hazards.

A wave type where the crest curls over the front face and falls into the base of the wave, resulting in a high splash.

This is a regulatory, economic, informational, or institutional tool designed to influence behaviour, allocate resources, or guide decision-making to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience to climate change impacts. Policy instruments can include regulatory instruments (e.g. building codes), economic instruments (e.g. insurance schemes for climate-related disasters), informational instruments (e.g. public awareness campaigns or technical guidance for local governments), or institutional instrument (e.g. integration of adaptation into national plans)

This refers to a strategic mix of policy instruments used to address the diverse and complex challenges posed by climate change. Rather than relying on a single tool, a policy portfolio combines multiple instruments to achieve more effective, flexible, and balanced adaptation outcomes.

Final purification of water or wastewater.

Examination of the performance of a range of portfolios or options that are likely to be effective under different circumstances, which allows a decision-maker to offset risks across a portfolio of investments over the longer-term.

This is the key tenant of ecologically sustainable development. It recognises that if there is risk that an action will cause harm, in the absence of scientific certainty, the burden of demonstrating that no harm will occur falls with the person taking the action.

The wobbling of the Earth on its polar axis, which has a return period of 26000 years. This change in movement and orientation alters the amount and location of solar radiation reaching the Earth.

An organism that captures energy from the environment and turns it into biomass through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, and forms the base of a food chain. Examples include green plants on land and phytoplankton in oceans.

There are two modes of private adaptation:

a) with private benefit, which is adaptation taken by a person or business that is of benefit only to that particular actor

b) with public benefit, which is adaptation taken by a person or business that is of benefit both to that particular actor and to the public.

Adaptation that takes place before impacts of climate change are observed.

A form of debt financing where money is borrowed based on the projected cash flows and value of an asset to be created by the project.

Climate change projections are based on our understanding of the climate system, historical trends and model simulations of the climate response to global scenarios of greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions.

A current of water or air created by the action of a propeller or rotor.

A single celled eukaryotic organism that does not photosynthesise but feed heterotrophically to obtain vital nutrition.

Adaptation undertaken by a public entity to benefit the broader community.

A spectrum of private sector involvement in public project delivery contracting approaches, which sits between full government control and full privatisation.

Greenhouse gases trap energy from the sun in the Earth’s atmosphere. In contrast, airborne solid or liquid particles called aerosols can reflect energy back into space. Combined, they affect what is called radiative forcing, or the net amount of energy that enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

Adaptation that is undertaken in response to an effect of climate change which has been experienced.

Quantifies the investment risk associated with uncertain future outcomes. It is useful when considering the value of flexibility of investments as it can inform how a project adapts, expands or scales back in response to unfolding events.

Wetland dominated by stands of common reed.

Reflective beach is characterised by breakers collapsing or surging onto the beach and a general lack of surf zone currents

A climate model at higher resolution over a limited area. Such models are used in downscaling global climate results over specific regional domains.

Sea level measured by tide gauge with respect to the land upon which it is situated.

The Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) are based on selected scenarios from four modelling teams/models working on integrated assessment modelling, climate modelling, and modelling and analysis of impacts. They are consistent sets of projections of only the components of radiative forcing (the change in the balance between incoming and outgoing radiation to the atmosphere caused primarily by changes in atmospheric composition) that are meant to serve as input for climate modelling.

See also SSPs

Residual risk related to climate change refers to the risk that remains after implementing current controls and management strategies. It's the risk that persists even with existing measures in place, and it's crucial to understand this to effectively plan for climate adaptation.

(See also inherent risk)

The capacity of social, economic, and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance, responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain their essential function, identity, and structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation.

A facing of stone, concrete, etc., built to protect a scarp, embankment, or shore structure against erosion by wave action or currents.

A stream or waterway and all vegetation on its banks.

Risk is the potential for consequences where something of value is at stake and where the outcome is uncertain, recognizing the diversity of values. Risk is often represented as probability of occurrence of hazardous events (likelihood) or trends multiplied by the impacts (or consequences) if these events or trends occur.

A systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking.

Differs from Real Options Analysis in that, rather than seeking optimality, RDM seeks to discover decisions that perform well (but not necessarily optimally) under multiple future scenarios.

A rolling easement is a legal agreement or interest in land that allows coastal areas like beaches and wetlands to migrate inland as sea levels rise, without being blocked by fixed structures or property lines. It prioritises the natural movement of the shoreline over preventing erosion or submergence.

The amount of salts dissolved in water.

As sea levels rise, saltwater will move further inland along waterways and through the groundwater. This can impact the plant and animal species living in waterways and foreshores; degrade groundwater; impact surface water and impact build assets.

Hydraulic or mechanical movement of sand from the accreting updrift side to the eroding downdrift side of an inlet or harbour entrance. The hydraulic movement may include natural movement as well as movement caused by human action.

A foresighting tool to engage a diverse range of stakeholders in a strategic planning or thinking exercise, with the aim of examining knowledge and beliefs and mapping pathways. Useful when a systems approach to decision-making is required.

The erosion by moving water of a river, a seabed, or river bank.

A barrier constructed to contain seawater from entering low-lying land.

The are the regional patterns of sea level change caused by the melting of land ice (like glaciers and ice sheets) and the redistribution of water on Earth. These patterns are not uniform around the globe.

An increase in the mean level of the ocean.

Eustatic sea level rise is a change in global average sea level brought about by an increase in the volume of the world ocean.

Relative sea level rise occurs where there is a local increase in the level of the ocean relative to the land, which might be due to ocean rise and/or land level subsidence. In areas subject to rapid land-level uplift, relative sea level can fall.

A structure separating land and water areas, primarily designed to prevent erosion and other damage due to wave action.

A landscape dominated by a cover of sedge grass.

Inorganic and organic, now loose material that is, or has previously been, mobilised by physical agents including wind, waves, currents and gravity. Sediment is primarily characterised by its size and composition.

A sediment budgeting exercise involves identification and (relative) quantification of all the sediment sources, transport pathways and sinks.

Small and relatively contained sediment compartments. A tertiary sediment cell may apply to a single beach or embayment.

The process whereby sediment is moved offshore, onshore or along shore by wave, current or wind action.

In the context of a risk assessment, sensitivity refers to the degree to which a system is affected by, or responsive to a hazard.

The behaviour of waves as they approach a shelving shore. The waves cease to be symmetrical and sinusoidal and become asymmetrical and solitary. Wavelength and wave velocity decrease, wave height and wave steepness increase, and wave period remains constant.

The subtidal coastal zone between the low-water mark and a depth of about 10–20m, within this zone wave action governs the sedimentary processes. Below the lower limit of the shoreface, waves do not affect the sea bed.

A discrete line representing the landward limit of the sea at some point in time. Methods to define shoreline vary and may be based upon a fixed vertical level, or by the apparent interface of water and land using a particular means of detection, such as aerial photography.

A process that occurs on embayed beaches and causes a response similar to beach recession

An open or closed stand of shrubs up to about two metres tall.

Average of the largest one-third of the waves in a record.

Links, shared values and understandings in society that enable individuals and groups to trust each other and so work together.

Encompasses the facilities and services that support community well-being and development, including aspects of social, educational, and cultural life. It goes beyond physical structures to include systems, networks, and institutions that foster social cohesion and quality of life

A change in thinking that takes place in a social context as people learn from one another. ‘a change in understanding that goes beyond the individual to become situated within wider social units or communities of practice through social interactions between actors within social networks’.

Reed et al. (2010)

These are intangible, place-based, and emerge from people’s emotions and attitudes toward nature. These values are created in the minds of the beneficiaries of ecosystem services and therefore vary from person to person.

Alternative approach to traditional (hard) engineering solutions using environmentally more sensitive interventions such beach replenishment, beach dewatering, vegetation planting or weed management.

This describes the north-south movement of the westerly wind belt that circles Antarctica.

A wave type where the crest becomes unstable and flows down the front face of the wave producing a foamy water surface.

A widely used shelter that contains meteorological instruments, arranged so that they give standard readings. The screen consists of a box, with sides ventilated by louvres, a ventilated floor and upper part, and an air space between an inner and outer roof.

Elevated sea level at the coast caused by the combined influence of low pressure and high winds associated with a severe storm such as a tropical cyclone. Includes wave run up and wave set up.

The total elevated sea height at the coast above a datum during a storm, combining storm surge and the predicted tide height.

This involves inventorying public assets and making economic decisions as to how to extract maximum value from them, including land and developed property.

A wave type where the crest remains unbroken and the front face of the wave advances up the beach with minor breaking.

Oscillation in shoreline elevation.

Long-period waves that have built up sufficient energy to move away from the area where wind stresses created them. The waves assume a uniform pattern and move even through areas where winds are weak or absent.

The increase in volume that results from warming water.

Large‐scale vertical motions of water in the ocean which are driven by density differences caused by variations in temperature and salinity.

The condition under which an asset or process is no longer able to achieve its desired objectives because of changing environmental conditions.

Type of flood gate placed in an estuary to prevent flooding from elevated ocean water levels. Such structures may also be associated with tidal power generation.

The volume of water exchanged between a lagoon or estuary and the open sea in the course of a complete tidal cycle.

The periodic rising and falling of the water surface resulting from gravitational attraction of the moon and sun and other astronomical bodies acting upon the rotating earth.

Type of flood gate placed in an estuary to prevent flooding from elevated ocean water levels. Such structures may also be associated with tidal power generation.

A level of change in system properties beyond which a system reorganizes, often abruptly, and does not return to the initial state, even if the drivers of the change are abated.
Usually refers to, biophysical thresholds where the magnitude of change means the current management strategies will no longer meet their intended goal. An example is permanent inundation of a salt marsh or mangrove.

A body of rights, obligations, and remedies that is applied by courts in civil proceedings to provide relief for persons who have suffered harm from the wrongful acts of others. The person who sustains injury or suffers pecuniary damage as the result of tortious conduct is known as the plaintiff, and the person who is responsible for inflicting the injury and incurs liability for the damage is known as the defendant or tortfeasor.

In the context of climate adaptation, a trade-off refers to a situation where actions taken to reduce vulnerability or increase resilience to climate impacts in one area may lead to negative consequences or reduced benefits in another. For example, building a seawall may protect coastal infrastructure from storm surges but can lead to loss of coastal habitats and reduced biodiversity.

TDR is the sale of one parcel's development rights to the owner of another parcel, which allows more development on the second parcel while reducing or preventing development on the originating parcel.

Estuary entrance fixed by artificial rock or other armour material walls, often extending seaward of the adjacent shoreline. In addition to controlling the position of estuary entrances, the structures act as sea walls for the banks of the estuary.

Adaptation actions which result in a significant change to community goals and expectations, or how they are met, potentially disrupting those communities and their values.

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(TCM) Surveys are used to collect trip expenditure, frequency data and place of origin from visitors to a site. TCM creates proxies for the value of non-traded goods and services.

A non-frontal low pressure system (below 1000hPa) rotating clockwise (in the southern hemisphere) that is of tropical origin and in which 10-minute mean wind speeds exceed gale force (63km/hr, 34kt or 17.5m/s).

Measure of water clarity or the capacity of water to transmit light.

A state of incomplete knowledge that can result from a lack of information or from disagreement about what is known or even knowable. It may have many types of sources, from imprecision in data to ambiguously defined concepts or terminology, or uncertain projections of human behaviour.

The act of assessing, appraising or measuring value or importance.

The importance, worth, or usefulness of something or an individual’s judgment of what is important in life.

Value capture funding methods identify and collect an equitable portion of the value released through new zoning and other public improvements so the communities that create this value share in the wealth it generates.

Institutions (rules) that allow individuals and groups to express their values and enable these values to be accommodated in decision making processes.

The propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected. Vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.

When the wave energy is transferred laterally along a wave crest as the wave passes an obstruction such as a headland, island or breakwater.

The vertical difference in elevation between the wave crest and the adjacent wave trough.

The process by which the direction of waves moving in shallow water at an angle to the submarine contours is altered.

Buoy with equipment fitted to continuously measure wave height, wave direction and wave period.

The ultimate height reached by waves (storm or tsunami) after running up the beach and coastal barrier.

The super-elevation in water level across the surf zone caused by energy expended by breaking waves.

An increase in wave height as a consequence of waves entering progressively shallower water depths.

Average distance between two successive wave crests.

Weather describes short term changes in variables such as temperature and rainfall.

A low dam built across a stream in order to raise the water level or divert the flow.

The steepness-induced wave dissipation in deep water during which some air is entrained into the near-surface water, forming an emulsion of water and air bubbles (foam) that appears white.

Widely accepted concept of intractable problems for which there are no clear and easily identifiable solutions or indeed a measure or endpoint that suggests that the problem has been solved. The concept of wicked problems was developed by Rittel and Webber in 1973 in the planning context but has wide application across social policy and planning domains.

The vertical rise of a body of water above still water level, caused by wind stresses on the surface of the water.

Wind waves are either sea or swell. Sea is generated by local winds at the time of observation. Swell has travelled to the coast after being generated by winds at a distant location.

Animal component of the plankton community

Unicellular dinoflagellates (usually classified as algae) that live symbiotically with certain corals.