1. Understand your case for action. You may need to make a case for undertaking some of the activities identified. A number of resources are provided to assist you. They are written in presentation format so that you can draw out the information that you need in a format suitable to deliver to others.
   • Presentation: Why climate justice matters  The presentation covers reasons for action associated with (1) Ethical and social legitimacy (2) Community resilience and policy delivery and (3) Legal responsibility.
   • Using existing tools and guidance. There has already been a large investment in tools and resources to assist organisations and communities to plan for, respond to and recover from the impacts of climate-related events. Effective use of tools can help you to develop a strong case for action and allow you to take advantage of existing knowledge and decision-making processes.

 

This tool provides a set of map resources about social vulnerability and climate disadvantage in your area  but also explains how external tools and resources can help to shed light on related issues and associated actions. Existing tools and resources allow you to review local experiences of the social impacts of floods and heat-waves such as via a Local Climate Impacts Profiles (LCLIPs) and ClimateUK and Kent County Councils’ Severe Weather Impacts Monitoring System (SWIMS) tool. Find out more about these and other available tools and resources to support action from the Resources index page.

 

3. Consider how existing social policies and practices can provide a foundation to address the problems of social vulnerability in your area.
   • Recognise that there are often multiple causes of social vulnerability and therefore some building community resilience will often require multiple actions. (See also Which places are disadvantaged?)
   • Develop targeted actions associated with particular socially vulnerable groups in order to maximise their effectiveness.
   • Provide support for individuals whose characteristics make them vulnerable even when they live in areas of otherwise low vulnerability¹.

 

4. Adopt cross-organisational cooperation on climate change impacts and vulnerabilities. Recognise the opportunities for joining up aligned activities  and learning how the evidence from past events can improve institutional capacity.

 

5. Build resilience in vulnerable communities through raising awareness, engaging and empowering  people, such as through the development of flood plans and flood groups (see case studies from Doncaster and Buckingham).
   • Use a range of ways to communicate with communities on climate change responses taking account of socially vulnerable groups.
   • Recognise that communities facing multiple problems will have multiple opportunities for engagement and resourcing.
   • Seek suggestions from communities about what they want and need for their area and what they are willing to support and participate in.
   • Tailor responses to local areas to make them more relevant for local communities.

 

6. Build community resilience through fostering community ties and partnership working. Partnership working is an important way to tackle the complex problems posed by climate and extreme weather events. It can help to identify needs, understand barriers and provide the basis to respond to opportunities. (See also Benefits of working in partnership)

 

7. Develop plans with short, medium and longer term goals alongside partner organisations with a role in delivering responses.

 

8. Recommended actions relating to specific vulnerable groups:
   • Manage the needs of sensitive people – use the following links to access specific actions for older people and people in ill-health. Actions include suggestions about identifying people who are particularly sensitive to impacts, ideas for raising awareness among the users and providers of health and social care services and good practice guidelines for taking action in your local area. 
   • Build community resilience by tackling the reasons for low adaptive capacity – use the links below to access specific actions relating to people on low incomes  and who are tenants, including for example selective licensing and associated accreditation schemes and information for social and private landlords. 
   • Improve neighbourhoods which tend to increase people’s exposure to climate impacts – use the links below to access specific actions. These include actions relating to areas lacking green infrastructure and actions relating to adapting housing. Many buildings can be adapted to reduce exposure to extreme weather events, such as heat-waves and flooding.

 

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