Report highlights value of people-centred approach to climate adaptation
A new report co-developed by the Government Office for Science highlights how social science evidence can help when developing policy to help the UK adapt to our changing climate.
People wearing brightly coloured waterproof boot covers wade through floodwater on a flooded street. Water reaches above ankle height, and a red umbrella is visible among the crowd.
The reportĀ explores how peopleāsĀ needs, behaviours,Ā experiencesĀ and local contexts affect the way climate risks are experienced and howĀ measures to help us adapt to climate changesĀ are understood, takenĀ upĀ and delivered.
āPutting people at the centre of UK climate adaptation and resilienceā has beenĀ developed by the ACCESSĀ (Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science)Ā Adaptation and Resilience Task Force, co-chaired by the Government Office for Science.Ā Ā
The report highlights the value of putting people at the centre ofĀ efforts to adapt to our climate.Ā It argues that responding toĀ the effects of climate changeĀ such as flooding, heatwaves and drought is not just aboutĀ improvingĀ infrastructure andĀ usingĀ technology. It is also about understanding how people experience theseĀ issues, how they respond to them and what support theyĀ needĀ toĀ takeĀ actionĀ to adaptĀ to climate change.Ā
Drawing on research, expert advice and workshops, the report sets out practical ways for policymakers to use evidence about how people think,Ā behaveĀ and make decisions when developing policiesĀ to help the UK adapt toĀ the changing climate.Ā Ā By helping policymakers better understand peopleāsĀ needs, experiences and behaviours, the report aims to support adaptation measures that are more effective,Ā equitableĀ and responsive to climate risks, helping communities, businesses and public services prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Dame Angela McLean said:
The actions that people can take, and their effects, are influenced by a range of social, behavioural, economic, and cultural factors. ToĀ adapt well to our changing climate, weĀ needĀ to understandĀ what affects the choices people can make and use that understanding when designing policies and support.
This report makes an important contribution to that agenda. It summarises scientific insights, concepts,Ā methodsĀ and approaches that can be used to help adaptation and resilience policy be more effective, moreĀ equitable, and more grounded in the realities of everyday life.
The ACCESSĀ Adaptation and Resilience Task ForceĀ comprisedĀ 13 academic and government social scientists with extensive subject knowledge and experience of working across the science-policy interface.