ISET employs a comprehensive suite of tools and methods, some developed in-house, in all of our research and advocacy based work. The processes of socio-economic, ecological and climate change are complex and interlinked. ISET takes a systems approach to investigate the synergies between these change processes, which requires a suite of tools and methods. Some of the tools in ISET’s methodology Suite are described below.

Shared Learning Dialogues
ISEt uses a stakeholder-based shared learning process supported by structured shared learning dialogues as a central mechanism for bringing together available information on climate change with local knowledge and perceptions. SLDs are iterative, transparent group discussions developed by ISET with local actors in communities, government agencies and specific organizations to bridge insights and understandings of climate change and resilience from multiple sources within communities, across scales and jurisdictional boundaries. The SLD process is designed to ensure that vulnerable populations have the opportunity to participate in climate resilience processes and build their adaptive capacity. The ultimate outcome of SLD processes is not just shared understanding, but a basis for identifying tangible activities (either research or implementation) at local levels.

Working paper 8 from the Risk to Resilience series outlines how we used the SLD process in cost-benefit studies of disaster risk resilience strategies in South Asia. We've been refining the process substantially as part of our work on urban climate adaptation in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and India under the ACCCRN project. We've also been using the approach extensively in our rural work in Nepal.  Overall, the techniques are evolving and are used to support research, economic and vulnerability analysis, training, and local adaptation planning.

Systematic Qualitative/Quantitative Vulnerability Analyses:
ISET is continuing to work on the integration of semi-quantitative vulnerability assessment measures with more qualitative approaches. We are developing techniques to use this information effectively as part of wider economic as well as social analysis. Equally importantly, however, we're increasingly looking at vulnerability from a systems perspective.  This is essential in order to move beyond the very localized narrative based descriptions of vulnerability common in much work on development and disaster risk reduction. While we adapt existing tools and methodologies for conducting vulnerability analyses to their specific context, each climate vulnerability assessment entails:

• An understanding of projected climate scenarios and potential impacts, and the limitations of the projections
• Identification of who/what are the vulnerable groups, areas, sectors and urban systems and how they may be affected
• Identification of the range of factors that systematically combine to make them vulnerable, including both direct (e.g. exposure to hazards) and indirect (e.g. regional or international food security) factors
• Assessment of existing capacities to adapt and of the existing institutions that enable or constrain adaptation

Cost-Benefit and other Economic Analysis of Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction:
ISET links Cost-benefit analysis with vulnerability analysis so that in order to clarify who benefits and how they benefit in relation to specific dimensions of vulnerability rather than just the overall benefits of any investment to society.

Water Resources and Climate Analyses:
ISET has in-house expertise in empirical and weather generator climate downscaling techniques, and access to, interpretation and communication of climate information, including from general and regional circulation models. Because of the high levels of uncertainty in climate change projection information – each projection made by GCMs is equally possible – ISET is moving away from probabilistic interpretations of climate information. Instead, we focus on threshold scenarios to examine the potential range of impacts and develop solutions that are robust against a variety of changes, whether slow or unexpected shocks.

ISET utilizes a variety of groundwater and surface water process models to examine multi-risk scenarios in developing adaptation and resilience strategies. Hydroclimatological data help to inform ISET’s vulnerability analyses and cost-benefit analyses, before proposing various adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies.