Climate change is sometimes described in disaster risk reduction (DRR) arenas as ‘just another factor’ to consider, but there are convincing arguments as to why it is not. While climate change has a range of distinct ecological, social and economic dimensions, it will influence other factors impinging on DRR - economics, human well-being, land use and development, socio-demographics, technological change, ecological systems and services, etc. Moreover, it is likely to influence interactions between those factors. Therefore, climate change is not ‘just another factor’ that can be easily passed through a standard risk management process. It demands that DRR practitioners transform concepts and approaches to risk assessments and management.

 This paper argues that while risk management is widely accepted as a sound entrée into climate change adaptation planning, its tendency to encourage linear, reductionist approaches to complex situations limits its ability to generate satisfactory outcomes for both adaptation and disaster risk reduction.  Drawing on research and practice of climate change adaptation (CCA) planning with local and state governments, this paper will present a constructive critique of risk management that aims to build on its strengths to enable a more sophisticated approach to considering and planning for climate change. The arguments presented show that the new definition of risk management in the 2009 revised Aus/NZ standard, while somewhat abstract, has potential to support a transformation from a formulaic, reductionist approach to risk management, to one that is strategic, adaptive and informed by an ever-growing body of knowledge and research.