The Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change project is a three year study which has been undertaken by NIWA and partners. The overall aim of this project is to create the necessary information and tools to enable adaptation by communities, in tandem with central and local government, to the impacts of climate change in the coastal environment. As well as providing a national perspective the project also focuses on how adaptation can be facilitated at regional and local levels to address specific local issues. Hume (2007) comments that the risk of coastal properties from coastal hazards continues to increase and there are substantive benefits in reducing this rising risk to infrastructure and properties through prudent and proactive adaptation.

The project has three key components:

• Building a national coastal vulnerability profile
• Engaging communities and institutional decision-makers
• Encouraging best practice planning.

A key outcome of this research is to enable more informed proactive communities and to assist local authorities to develop local adaptation plans that encompass community values. Our adaptation guidance ‘Pathways to Change’ is a synthesis of findings from the overall programme.

This document provides local authorities and communities with useful and relevant guidance to assist them plan for and implement actions which will help to make our communities more robust to the potential impacts of climate change in our coastal areas.

Pathways to Change presents:

• A framework which describes the steps that need to be taken along the pathway to adaptation
• A discussion of key drivers and options available for undertaking each step on this journey
• Case study examples from New Zealand and overseas relevant to each of the steps
• Indicators for measuring and reviewing progress
• A range of reference material.

Pathways to Change is intended for use primarily by local authority councillors and staff, particularly those involved in coastal policy and implementation actions, such as resource planning and consents, engineering, building permits, designations for utilities and infrastructure, scientific monitoring and community action. It is also for use by other agencies involved in coastal work, community groups and individuals interested in ensuring their communities are as resilient as possible for the future.