Step 2.4 Defining key risks and adaptation objectives

Key message

Determine the key risks – who and what is most at risk in your area. This will help you define your adaptation priorities. Develop and agree on adaptation objectives with stakeholders.

After assessing the climate risks, you can now identify the key risks for your area, i.e the sectors, systems or social groups that are most threatened. These key risks will guide your adaptation planning and help you prioritise adaptation actions. You should identify priority areas based on the severity of impacts, bearing in mind the following factors:

At this stage, you can define the adaptation objectives of your plan. These should address the key risks and priority areas identified in your risk assessment. Make them SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. The objectives will be your guide when assessing and selecting adaptation options in Steps 3 and 4, developing your plan in Step 5, and evaluating your progress in Step 6.

You should communicate the results of the risk assessment clearly with stakeholders and the community (identified in Step 1.3), addressing any uncertainties. It’s important to involve them in determining the adaptation objectives, as this builds trust and collaboration, laying a solid foundation for effective adaptation efforts. Involving multiple stakeholders means weighing trade-offs and negotiating win-win solutions within available resource limits. This entails understanding their needs and finding compromises beneficial to all, even if not all needs can be fully met. Some stakeholders may need to adjust their activities, e.g. transitioning from water-intensive farming to more sustainable methods or relocating a neighbourhood from flood-prone areas for safety.