These adaptation pathways were developed during the NRM planning project, over the past three years. Each pathway has a section identifying how it was identified and developed. The pathways are also constructed to pay respect to everyone involved, whether through on-ground works, partnerships, workshops, reporting, technical studies, research or other plans.

The information and tools presented in each Cape York Atlas site relate to the adaptation pathways that can be taken to reach the NRM plan targets.

In an attempt address climate change impacts and implement adaptive practices, Cape York NRM developed 'adaptation pathways' and relevant actions outlined in the look, listen, learn and link framework that integrates the planning by doing process to achieve NRM targets. These pathways propose concurrent and coordinated actions to reduce the effects of climate change and improve community and ecosystem resilience. Each overall adaptation pathway can be independent or work together with other pathways. Each adaptation pathway has multiple steps and directions to work towards the overall target. Each target also has identified assumptions, opportunities, implications, limits, barriers and challenges, risks and perverse outcomes, example monitoring indicators and the scale of the change.