| Term | Definition |
| Potential impacts | Impacts that occur without considering adaptation |
| Residual impacts | Impacts that occur even when adaptation has been undertaken. |
| Interdependence | Interdependence between adapting actors occurs when the actions of one actor will affect the others. |
| Individual adaptation | Individual adaptation consists in situations when the adaptation actions of an actor effect only themselves. Interdependence is not present. A typical example of individual adaptation is a farmer choosing what crop to plant. |
| Collective adaptation | Collective action means that there is interdependence between the adapting actors, in the sense that the actions of one actor will affect the others. Typical examples involve common-pool resource use, such as when farmers use groundwater from a common aquifer for irrigation. |
| Private adaptation | Private adaptation consists of situations in which persons act in their own interest when they perceive a threat from climate change or foresee a benefit from this action. Examples would be farmers adapting their cropping patterns, or coastal dwellers flood-proofing their homes. |
| Public adaptation | Public adaptation consists of situations in which a public actor takes action with a fiduciary duty to act in the public interest. Public actors include local authorities, government ministries, public water boards, etc. - anyone acting on behalf of the citizenry. |
| Flexibility | An option is flexible if it allows for switching to other options that might be preferable in the future once more is known about the changing climate. |
