Network name: RMIT Climate Change Adaptation Program (AdaptNet) Scope: International Geographic region: Asia-Pacific Central Coordinator Location - City: Melbourne Central Coordinator Location - Country: Australia Principal focus: Critical thinking Organization type: University Year started: 2007 Short description*: "his decentralized network creates a set of common knowledge and reference points for participants in the network; it offers information, analysis, and methodology to undertake urban climate change adaptive policy research and analysis. AdaptNet highlights best practice and demonstration projects. It focuses on cities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, but acknowledges the global network of cities." Focus and description*: "The primary focus of research activity is the likely impacts facing different ‘elements at risk’ in the urban environment – categorised broadly as critical infrastructure, buildings, space between buildings, and people – and the often diffuse portfolio and nature of different possible adaptation responses (from technological through to institutional), and the barriers and opportunities for change. Due to the complexity involved with the subject matter, CCAP applies a ‘prism’ of analysis that enables research questions to be tackled according to different hazards, sectors, spatial scales (from conurbation down to individual buildings), and case study locations (the Asia-Pacific region being a key component of the CCAP remit, with a specific research interest in sustainable urban development in Vietnam and China). The research approach is one based on the integration of quantitative (modelling), qualitative (scenarios) and participatory methodologies; with an active promotion of multi-disciplinary working, reinforced by new forms of engagement between scientific, policy, and wider stakeholder communities. Whilst cities form the centrepiece of attention, it is recognised that the urban system cannot be understood in isolation from its regional and global hinterlands, and as such multi-level influences and interactions (particularly urban-rural linkages and State-wide climate-related issues) are considered explicitly by the programme where relevant. This additional emphasis is reinforced by the leader of CCAP having direct involvement through his role as Deputy Director of the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research." Funding Source:   Contact details: GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, 3001, Australia. Phone: +61 3 992 53170 Email: adaptnet@rmit.edu.au Website: http://www.globalcollab.org/gci/adaptnet

Please note that while all networks have a diverse agenda, the "Principal focus" criteria was a judgment call as to what the dominant focus was.

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*Text in quotations are organization's self description that can be cited to their website.