This paper develops a Public Participatory Geographic Information System (PPGIS) model to integrate the multiple dimensions of sustainability (i.e., social, economic and biophysical) as well as the co-existence of multiple realities in the assessment of the vulnerability of rural communities to climate change. Within the context of climate change and adaptation science, this study recognizes the potential advantages of a consciously planned response to facilitate the adaptation process to the impacts of climate change. By comprising an integrated approach, this model represents a contribution for the development of strategies and policies flexible enough to include local knowledge, values and conditions and information derived from both qualitative and quantitative modes of inquiry