Abstract
Adapting to climate change means adapting the way we do things – in all areas of our lives – to respond to the changing circumstances (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), What is adaptation? http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/adaptation/what.htm 2008). Adaptation is fundamentally a local issue – flooding, coastal erosion, agricultural patterns, employment, regeneration and land use all impact the local level. It is now recognised that local governments have an important role in grappling with the complex impacts of climate change and setting in motion plans for their services and communities.
Councillors (elected members) play a key role in championing adaptation at the local level. Their ongoing enthusiasm in driving forward the green agenda, their awareness of the risks of business as usual and their passion for community wellbeing puts them in the best position to develop public awareness of, and the political will, for taking action on adaptation. This paper identifies councillors’ leadership role in the adaptation agenda. It presents a checklist with five suggested actions for councillors. On communicating the adaptation agenda to the public, councillors could use more simple language, give practical examples and use more innovative channels of communications. On supporting their councils to take action, councillors could present a business case for adaptation and help build partnerships for delivery.
This ICLEI article has been derived from an LGiU publication ‘Getting ready for a changing climate: supporting councillor’s leadership role in adaptation’. The author holds the copyright for the LGiU publication.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
AirAlert (2011) Available http://www.airalert.com/Cited Apr 2011
CAG Consultants (2009) Adapting to climate change: local areas’ actions. CAG Consultants, London. Available via http://www.cagconsultants.net/resources/climate-change-case-study/Adapting_to_Climate_Change_Local_Areas_Action_June09.pdf. Cited Feb 2010
Chichester District Council (2010) Manhood peninsula partnership. Chichester District Council. Available via http://www.chichester.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9495. Cited Feb 2010
Cumbria Intelligence Observatory (2010) Cumbria floods November 2009: an impact assessment. Available via http://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/536/671/4674/4026717419.pdf. Cited Feb 2010
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) (2008) What is adaptation? Department for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs website. Available via http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/adaptation/what.htm. Cited Feb 2010
Energy Saving Trust (2008) Kent County Council’s Select Committee on Climate Change. Available via http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/nottingham/Nottingham-Declaration/Events-resources/Adaptation-extras/Adaptation-Case-Studies/NDP-Case-Studies/Kent-County Council-s-Select-Committee-on-Climate-Change. Cited Feb 2010
Gloucestershire County Council (2010) Environment overview and scrutiny committee: flood risk management update. Available from http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=2969Cited Apr 2011
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (1999) Stopping landslides in Rio: recycling scrap tires into retaining walls. International Development Research Centre website. Available via http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-5145-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html. Cited Feb 2010
Lancashire County Council (2010) Ecology. Available http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/atoz/a_to_z/service.asp?u_id=826&tab=1Cited Apr 2011
Met Office (2009) Noughties’ confirmed as the warmest decade on record. Available via http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2009/pr20091208b.html. Cited Feb 2010
South West Climate Change Impact Partnership (SWCCIP) (n.d.) Otter Farm - Climate Change Farm. Available from http://www.oursouthwest.com/climate/registry/090500-otter-farm-case-study.pdf Cited Apr 2011
Staffordshire Climate Change Partnership (2010) Our county, our climate, our choice, OC³ website. Available via http://www.staffsoc3.org.uk/default.aspx?PageId=126. Cited February 2010
Pitt M (2008) The Pitt review: lessons learned from the 2007 floods, prevention web. Available via http://preventionweb.net/go/2935. Cited Feb 2010
UK Climate Impact Programme (UKCIP) (2010) LCLIP: Local climate impacts profile. Oxfordshire County Council website. Available via http://www.ukcip.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=660&Itemid=377. Cited Feb 2010
UK Climate Projections Programme (UKCP09) (2009a) Key findings for sea level rise. Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website. Available via http://ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk/content/view/2145/499/. Cited Feb 2010
UK Climate Projections Programme (UKCP09) (2009b) UK Climate Projections 2009, Defra, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website. Cited Feb 2010
Waterwise (2009) Preston water efficiency initiative: final report March 2009. Available http://www.waterwise.org.uk/images/site/Research/preston%20water%20efficiency%20initiative%20-%20final%20report%20-%20march%202009%20-%20waterwise%20with%20partners.pdf. Cited Apr 2011
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Lee, J.W.K. (2011). Getting Ready for a Changing Climate: Supporting Councillor’s Leadership Role in Adaptation. In: Otto-Zimmermann, K. (eds) Resilient Cities. Local Sustainability, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0785-6_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0785-6_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0784-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0785-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)