COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE
Some communities are particularly exposed to climate change impacts such as sea level rise or flooding. Adaptation such as physical and societal adjustments will be needed to respond to actual and anticipated impacts.
Outcomes are improved for affected communities, as well as for councils when they work together closely to understand the implications, co-develop plans, and undertake agreed actions for adaptation. This requires effective community engagement; whereby local authorities develop active and effective relationships with their communities.
Fundamental Requirement for Effective Adaptation
A fundamental requirement for effective adaptation is for councils to work together with the community to solve problems and build social cohesion. Long-term council-community relationships are essential as climate change impacts will keep evolving. If care is not taken, existing issues such as inequalities may be perpetuated or worsened by climate change and/or by adaptation actions. Effective engagement can mitigate such injustices and have positive flow-on effects, with many benefits for both the community and the local authority. Poor engagement (or lack of engagement) brings risks of alienating the community and producing inappropriate adaptation plans.
Disseminating knowledge and information may also help reduce local elite capture of public investments, as better-informed communities will know what is expected to take place in their territories. Lastly, involving the community can strengthen grassroots environmental attitudes and social networks, disseminate ecological and scientific knowledge, and increase buy-in for conservation efforts.
Community Roles
Communities play a crucial role in tackling climate change through various involvements:
Local Initiatives: Communities often spearhead local initiatives such as tree planting drives, beach clean-ups, and community gardens to mitigate environmental impact.
Education and Awareness: Community organizations, schools, and local governments raise awareness about climate change, its impacts, and ways to reduce carbon footprint through workshops, seminars, and educational campaigns.
Advocacy and Policy Influence: Communities advocate for sustainable policies at local and regional levels, influencing decision-makers to implement measures like renewable energy incentives, waste reduction programs, and green infrastructure development.
Collective Action: Communities engage in collective actions like carpooling, bike-sharing programs, and community-based renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions collectively.
Resilience Building: Communities work on resilience-building measures such as developing disaster preparedness plans, implementing green infrastructure, and promoting sustainable agriculture practices to adapt to climate change impacts.
Social Innovation: Communities foster social innovation by encouraging the adoption of eco-friendly practices, supporting local green businesses, and promoting circular economic initiatives.
Community-Based Monitoring: Engaging citizens in monitoring environmental changes and reporting environmental violations helps in the early detection of climate-related issues and enforcement of environmental regulations.
Lifestyle Changes: Communities promote sustainable lifestyles through initiatives like zero-waste movements, eco-friendly transportation alternatives, and promoting locally sourced products to reduce carbon footprints.
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By actively engaging in these activities, communities contribute significantly to mitigating the effects of climate change and building a more sustainable future.
Resources
Archer, D., Almansi, F., DiGregorio, M., Roberts, D., Sharma, D., and Syam, D. (2014). 'Moving towards inclusive urban adaptation: approaches to integrating community-based adaptation to climate change at city and national'. Climate and Development, 6(4), pp. 345-356.
Ayers, J., and Forsyth, T. (2009). 'Community-based adaptation to climate'. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 51(4), pp. 22-31.
Bächtiger, A., Dryzek, J., Mansbridge, J., and Warren, M. (2018). 'The Oxford Handbook of deliberative democracy. Oxford University Press
Bulkeley, H., Edwards, G., and Fuller, S. (2014). 'Contesting climate justice in the city: Examining politics and practice in urban climate change'. Global Environmental Change, pp.25, 31-40.
Jimenez, M., Pejchar, L., and Reed, S. (2021). 'Tradeoffs of using place-based community science for urban biodiversity '. Conservation Science And Practice, 3(2), pp 338
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