Objectives
Building resilience into agricultural production systems is essential to combat the impacts of climate change. Whilst some see improved technologies as providing solutions, from genetically modified crops to tools that predict regional weather patterns, it is through a focus on institutions that adaptation becomes part of a community.

Method
Adaptive capacity is broadly defined as the ability of a system (region and community) to cope and thrive in the face of change. Using an institutional approach, this research analyses the customs, behaviours and practices that link people together and considers the complexities of human behaviour that govern decision making. A wide range of data, both qualitative and quantitative, was gathered through a series to indicators of adaptive capacity. The data will be placed in the National Data Grid (NDG), a data platform that adopts a grid cell based approach to managing spatial information. The NDG supports simple spatial queries, including time series analysis and the capability to weight indicators, which enables communities to determine policy and investment priorities.

Results
This research sought to understand how a system successfully transforms and adjusts to environmental change through an examination of social capital (or assets). The purpose is to work with communities to identify key components of adaptation and to strengthen decision making processes that expand the coping range and implement planned adaptation.

Conclusion
This research suggests that an understanding of the social capital of a region is a component of building adaptive capacity and enables carefully targeted communication and policy responses.