At a glance
- Different tools are suited to different stages, sectors and levels of risk assessment.
- A tiered approach helps match effort and complexity to the decision being supported.
- Organisations can progress from general screening tools to more specialised tools as understanding and needs increase.
How to choose a risk assessment tool
KEEP in mind...
- More detail is not always better.
- Start simple and increase effort only where justified.
- Match the tool to the decision, not the data ambition.
- Risk assessment supports adaptation: it doesn't replace it.
- Your process and outcomes should align with just and fair adaptation.
- Your group/ organisation may already have a process you need to align this to.
Step 1. What is the purpose of your risk assessment?
What are you trying to do right now?
If you want to:
- check whether climate risks are relevant for your site, area, project - start with a first pass assessment
- prioritise risks and inform plans - move to a second pass risk assessment
- support major, high‑cost or irreversible decisions - move to a third pass risk assessment.
READ:
more about:
- the three levels of risk assessment
- how risk assessment fits within adaptation planning in the CoastAdapt decision support tool C-CADS
Step 2. Choose the right assessment tool for your purpose
There are many decision‑support tools available to help groups and organisations to assess and manage climate change risk, each designed for different purposes, scales and levels of complexity.
Obviously, we promote the CoastAdapt decision support tool C-CADS as having a useful suite of risk assessment guidance (see Step 2 and supporting resources), but you night find one that is closer to your specific needs.
Once you have selected the level of risk assessment that best matches the decision you are supporting, consider which tool is most appropriate for your needs (see Table 1).
Table 2 provides additional detail on individual tools to help guide this choice. In practice, organisations may begin with a general tool for a first‑pass assessment and then progress to more specialised, sector‑specific tools as they move to subsequent levels of risk assessment.
| Assessment level | Use when | Typical tools | What you get | Effort and skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First‑pass (screening) | You are at an early stage You have limited time and resources You need to justify whether more work is needed You need to do this step to get organisational buy-in | CoastAdapt Coastal Risk Australias Adapt NRM Planning Checklist Climate Compass National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework tools | High‑level identification of climate risks Early prioritisation Direction on whether further assessment is warranted | Low effort General planning or risk management skills |
| Second‑pass (Structured local or sector‑based assessment) | You need to prioritise risks You are developing, updating plans, policies or asset strategies Decisions must be defensible and transparent | CoastAdapt (incl. C‑CADS) State coastal hazard adaptation planning guidelines Climate Change Toolkit for World Heritage Properties Infrastructure Australia Climate Risk Framework IPWEA, Austroads or WSAA sector guidelines | Risk registers Priority risks Inputs to adaptation plans and investment decisions | Moderate effort Risk assessment experience and sector knowledge |
| Third‑pass (Detailed and targeted assessment) | Risks are high or complex Decisions are costly, safety‑critical or irreversible Detailed modelling or thresholds are required | Detailed protected‑area risk assessments National Climate Risk Assessment Methodology | Quantified impacts Design thresholds and limits Evidence to support major investments or retreat decisions | High effort and cost Specialist technical expertise (typically specialised consultants) |
| Tool/ link | Level of assessment | Description | Scale of application | Outputs produced | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoastAdapt (C‑CADS Step 2) | First pass Second pass Third pass | Comprehensive guidance, tools and templates to support structured local‑scale coastal climate risk assessment and adaptation planning. | Local government area Coastal sites | Risk registers Prioritised risks Adaptation options | Open access |
| Coastal Risk Australia | First pass | National coastal inundation mapping tool showing potential exposure under sea‑level rise scenarios. | Local to national coastal areas | Maps of coastal exposure | Open access |
| Climate Compass | First pass Second pass Third pass | Climate risk management tool to help integrate climate risk into existing organisational risk management and governance processes. | Organisation Program Portfolio | Qualitative risk identification Integration into risk registers Narrative summaries | Restricted to government users |
| Adapt NRM Planning Checklist | First pass | Self‑assessment checklist for NRM planners to review plans for climate readiness and identify gaps. | Plan regional NRM area | Checklist identified gaps and actions | Open access |
| Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Program (CROMP) | First pass Second pass | Online tool to identify, assess and prioritise organisational climate risks and opportunities. | Organisation Program | Prioritised risks and opportunities Summary reports | Restricted to government users |
| State coastal hazard adaptation planning guidelines | First pass Second pass | State‑endorsed guidance for consistent place‑based coastal hazard and risk assessment. | Local government area Coastlines | Risk assessment outputs Planning inputs | Open access |
| National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework tools | First pass | Framework and tools to identify disaster and hazard risk including climate‑driven hazards. | Local to national | Hazard profiles Risk summaries | Public framework |
| Protected‑area detailed climate risk assessments | Third pass | Site‑specific method to assess climate vulnerability and adaptive capacity for ecosystems and conservation assets. | Site, protected area | Vulnerability assessments Adaptation strategies | Agency‑specific / restricted |
| Climate Change Toolkit for World Heritage Properties (Australia) | Second pass | Step‑by‑step guide to identify and prioritise climate risks to World Heritage values. | Specific sites | Prioritised risks Management actions | Open access |
| Infrastructure Australia Climate Risk Framework | Second pass | Framework to assess and manage climate risks for significant infrastructure policies, programs and investments. | Project Portfolio National infrastructure | Risk assessments Priority risks | Open access |
| IPWEA Climate Resilient Infrastructure Guidelines | Second pass Third pass | Guidance to assess and manage climate risks to local government infrastructure assets and services. | Asset, network, organisation | Asset‑level risk assessments Treatment options | Member‑based / paid |
| Austroads Climate Resilience Guidelines | Second pass Third pass | Guidance to assess and improve climate resilience of road and transport networks. | Corridor, network | Risk assessments Adaptation measures | Subscription / member access |
| WSAA climate risk frameworks | Second pass Third pass | Sector‑specific guidance to assess climate risks to water supply, treatment and wastewater services. | Utility System | Risk assessments Resilience priorities | Member‑restricted |
| National Climate Risk Assessment Methodology | Third pass | Methodology to analyse complex, interconnected and system‑level climate risks. | National Sector System | Detailed risk analysis, system‑level insights | Open access |
| Protected‑area detailed climate risk assessments | Third pass | Site‑specific method to assess climate vulnerability and adaptive capacity for ecosystems and conservation assets. | Site Protected area | Vulnerability assessments, adaptation strategies | Agency‑specific / restricted |
READ:
more guidance on risk assessment in