Impact Chains & Risk Knowledge

What it is
Impact Chains (IC) are conceptual models which help structure, visuale and prioritise the factors that drive risks, illustrating cause–effect relationships within socio-ecological systems and highlighting the key linkages between different components of risk.
ICs innovatively provide a conceptual description of risk that is consistent with the most recent interpretation (e.g., by the IPCC) as well as the more historical DRR perspective. Originally developed by Eurac Research and further refined with GIZ, the Impact Chain methodology has become part of international standards (e.g. ISO 14091) and aligns with the latest IPCC and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) frameworks.

Who it is for
Impact chains are designed for researchers, practitioners and planners, involved in risk assessment for climate change adaptation or disaster risk reduction.

Access
Impact chains are supported by a growing body of methodological guidance and practical tools. Existing guidelines, including the UNDRR technical guidance, the Climate Risk Sourcebook, and the Eurac Research Guidelines, provide step by step approaches for developing and applying impact chains in different contexts.
To facilitate their construction and visualization, adopting a consitent approach, practitioners can use tools such as Kumu, which supports interactive systems mapping. A downloadable JSON template is available to streamline the development of impact chains within Kumu. Alternatively, Impact Chains can be created using Draw.io, supported by a dedicated template that enables users to build clear and consistent diagrams.
To further improve accessibility, usability and standardisation, an ad hoc digital tool is currently being developed to support the design, documentation, and management of impact chains.

What it is
The Climate Risk Planning & Managing Tool for Development Programmes in the Agriculture & Food Sector (CRISP) is a freely available, interactive web-based tool designed to support climate risk assessment in agricultural and rural development projects. Developed for the specific characteristics of agriculture and agricultural land-use systems, it helps users identify relevant climate risks in the context of concrete programmes and interventions. Eurac Research contributed to the tool as a project partner, providing expertise in climate risk analysis based on the Impact Chain methodology developed by the Eurac Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction group and published in the Vulnerability Sourcebook and its Risk Supplement.

Who it is for
CRISP is intended primarily for project planners and managers working in agriculture and rural development, as well as for practitioners and organisations involved in designing, implementing, or evaluating development programmes in the agriculture and food sector.

Access
The tool is freely accessible online at crisp.eurac.edu.