This briefing discusses what can be done to build climate resilience at a local level in a way that also benefits health.

Working together for change

The Adaptation Scotland programme worked with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and the Improvement Service to develop this introductory briefing on working together to build climate-resilient, healthy and equitable places.

This resource is for local government and partners such as Health Boards, Community Planning Partnerships, and local organisations. It sets out how our changing climate can affect health and health inequalities both directly, and indirectly through impacts on housing, transport, and access to goods and services, which are the building blocks of good health.

People who are socially and economically disadvantaged often experience significantly poorer health and are more vulnerable to climate impacts. These inequalities are underpinned by poverty, lack of power and the unequal distribution of resources and assets in the community.

The briefing discusses what can be done to take a preventative approach to building climate resilience at a local level in a way that also benefits health. It starts with understanding how the challenges are interconnected, adopting a whole system approach and working together to identify actions that address the underlying causes. The resource includes a range of tools and case studies to support this.

What is participatory mapping?

Participatory mapping — when maps are co-created by local communities — can be a powerful and accessible way to visualise people’s knowledge about their place and build understanding about what is important to protect in a changing climate.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants to understand what members of their community think about where and how climate change is experienced in their place, and what makes their place resilient and vulnerable to the impacts of the changing climate. This approach works well when run as part of a community event (local farmers market, community larder, festival, etc.), as this allows views to be gathered from those who might normally be not interested in attending a ‘climate change workshop’, and can help stimulate conversations between people. It can also work well as a stand-alone display, for example in a library or community hall, where visitors are invited to add their contributions in their own time.

This approach is for anyone who wants to understand what members of their community think about where and how climate change is experienced, and what makes their place resilient or vulnerable to its impacts. You may wish to use it alongside some of our other new adaptation Tools and Resources too!

What will you have as a result?

A crowd-sourced list of specific places where people observe and experience the impacts of climate change as well knowledge about what is perceived to make the area resilient or vulnerable to these impacts. You can use the outcomes of this activity to inform your community’s approach to climate change adaptation. The process itself is also important, as it requires open and honest dialogue, and ideally a broad and representative section of the community to participate, helping to build awareness and links between people.

How to use it?

For an activity
Print out a large image of your place (the bigger it is, the easier it will be to map detail) from a public map provider, such as OpenStreetMap. Lay it on a table or pin up a poster board and place questions next to it,
such as:

• Where do you experience the impacts of climate change?
• Which places can cope well with the impacts of climate change? Why?
• Which places aren’t coping well with the impacts of climate change? Why?

Place a different kind/colour of sticky dot or pin next to each question and invite people to respond to the questions by adding the appropriate sticky dot to the map. If you are running a digital event, you could use an online whiteboard such as Miro to ask people to put points on the map. As people are responding it is helpful to note down the stories people are sharing, as this approach often leads to broader conversation about the place. You could also use a large print out of the 15 Key Consequences of Climate Change for Scotland infographics to support your conversations.

For a standalone display

If you’d like to read about an example of participatory mapping in action, read our Mapping Our Place case study which shares our experience of developing a pilot approach to gather lived experience and local knowledge of climate change impacts and community priorities for adaptation in North Uist as part of our work with partners in the Outer Hebrides.

Set the map up as above, but instead of the three questions, print out copies of these climate hazard tags (these could also be used in for the activity above too if you prefer). Unlike the activity above, people won’t be talking directly to each other, so these can help capture more detailed information. Ask people to:

• Pick a climate hazard symbol (e.g. wind, flooding, drought) and add notes, based on their experience to describe:
  • Where is this an issue and what was the impact? Specific place names are very helpful!
  • When was/is this an issue (such as particular years, months or seasons)?
  • What or who is at risk (such as people, groups, natural resources, businesses, transportation or other important elements of your place)?
  • Why are they vulnerable (perhaps it is close to the hazard or can’t cope with the impact for some reason)?
• Attach their symbol to the map in the location where these impacts are most serious and repeat for other climate hazards

After the session

Take the information you’ve captured and write this up to summarise where climate change impacts are being experienced, and which elements of the place are particularly resilient or vulnerable. Make sure you take pictures of your completed maps, and depending on how you want to use them you could perhaps work with a local designer or artist to develop a visual or digital version. Remember though that the process and conversations required for participatory mapping are just as important as the actual ‘product’ that is produced!

The Community Climate Adaptation Routemap is a practical guide to help communities adapt to climate change. No matter what kind of community you are, there are actions you can take to build resilience, prepare for climate change, and make your area healthier, safer, and more comfortable for people and wildlife.

This Routemap offers clear steps for local action groups, community councils, and development trusts to build their resilience to climate change. It is available in English and in Gaelic.

Every community is unique, and so are the impacts of climate change on each place. Addressing climate change can feel overwhelming on top of everything else you’re already working on—it’s complex, interconnected, and it’s not always clear where to start. The Community Climate Adaptation Routemap is based on the belief that it’s both crucial and possible to build resilience and adapt to climate change while also addressing other important community issues like housing, transportation, and jobs.

This Routemap is useful for anyone who wants to:

• Understand and address climate change impacts in your community, now and in the future.
• Discover actions you can take to build resilience and adapt while tackling other community issues.
• Invest in your community to reduce future costs and find out what funding and support are available

The Routemap offers clear definitions of climate change adaptation and resilience, a simple overview of what climate change means for Scotland in the long term, and tools to understand local impacts. It includes 20 examples of practical adaptation actions and many resources to help your community adapt.

Adaptation Scotland produced the Routemap in collaboration with Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), North East Scotland Climate Action Network (NESCAN Hub), and the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) alongside contributions from ReadyScot, Sustrans, Architecture & Design Scotland, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and others.

Climate Ready Ken and Adaptation Scotland project members in Dumfries

This case study shares the insights of local partners from the Loch Ken Trust in Dumfries and Galloway, about their journey embarking on building climate resilience in the area as part of Adaptation Scotland’s localities work programme 2020 – 2022.

Improving river quality and reducing flood risk with the communities of the Eddleston Water in the Scottish Borders.

The Eddleston Water is a sub catchment of the River Tweed. It measures 69 square km. The main stream is 12km. Lying to the North of Peebles in the Scottish Borders, the Eddleston Water covers a large area of hill and improved grassland. The Eddleston Water Project aims to reduce flood risk and restore the Eddleston Water for the benefit of the local community and wildlife.

The project is a partnership initiative led by Tweed Forum, with the Scottish Government, SEPA and University of Dundee, and works with a range of other key partners, including landowners and the local community so that everyone can contribute ideas and follow the project’s progress.

Work to slow the flow and increase storage of flood waters is ongoing across the catchment, including using techniques such as:

1. Planting native woodland on floodplains and in hill cleuchs. The trees and coarse grass generated will help slow the surface flow rate which will help take the peak off the flood water.
2. Creating new water retention ponds to capture flood water. Re-meandering canalised ditches and watercourses will encourage a more natural watercourse ecosystem to develop.
3. Installing log-jams in the headwaters to slow down run-off. This will benefit water quality, wildlife and the fisheries.

Play video

This film includes more information about the work that is being carried out in the Eddleston Water catchment

For more information, see the project website here where there is also a progress report from 2021 available to download.

The building of the Queensferry Crossing provided an opportunity for Amey, who manage and maintain the crossing, to incorporate changes that will allow the bridge to be more resilient to severe weather conditions and a changing climate.

When Amey were appointed as operators of The Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing in 2015, they became the single company maintaining and managing the crossings of the Forth River. The construction of the new Queensferry Crossing was already underway at that time, however, Amey were able to bring in experience of other crossings, as well as learnings from recent closures on the Forth Road Bridge and put in place a number of systems to increase the capacity of both bridges to adapt to more severe weather conditions. These include signs to inform drivers of high wind speeds, changes to practices and guidance, new materials and innovative designs to the bridge itself.

Amey’s procedures over the years have moved from an approach where the roads must always remain open towards an approach that accepts, and communicates to the public, that travel will not always be possible during severe weather events. The construction of the new Queensferry Crossing has also provided an opportunity to incorporate changes that will allow the bridge to be more resilient to severe weather conditions and a changing climate, and therefore stay open when the Forth Road Bridge would have been closed.

These changes included using the latest and most durable materials, cables that can be replaced with more ease than on the Forth Road Bridge as it can be done as part of normal maintenance works without closing the bridge, a dehumidification system which reduces moisture and prevents corrosion, and thicker road surfacing which has a longer surface life and can be machine laid, making it easier to replace.

The biggest change incorporated into the new bridge was wind shielding which will make the crossing less susceptible to closure during high winds. Experience of other estuarial crossings, such as the Second Severn Crossing, shows that wind barriers provide a high degree of reliability against closure.

Scotland has seen a significant change in its climate over the last 50 years – on average our weather has become warmer and wetter and we have seen more extreme events. This trend is set to continue with impacts felt across all parts of society.

The amount of information on climate change risks and potential adaptation measures in Scotland is increasing – at the national level, within sectors, and for specific locations. However, it can be difficult to access the breadth of information and consider it in an integrated way.

The six places

The Climate-Ready Places resource takes six typical Scottish ‘places’ and identifies:

• the key climate change impacts and risks identified for Scotland; and
• the adaptation measures that could contribute to a climate ready (adapting) place.

The visuals

The visuals will be used to introduce adaptation to a broad audience – providing visual representation of climate impacts and a shared vision of ‘climate ready places’. They will be used to engage with specific audiences (e.g. planners or communities) to identify what they could contribute to achieving a ‘climate ready place’.

The adaptation ideas were gathered at a dynamic workshop that brought together people working on adaptation across Scotland and from many different sectors. The images used in the tool were drawn by professional illustrators as participants described the characteristics of each place, how climate impacts them, and how our adaptation responses would change that location.Adapting uplands

The resource can be used by anyone with an interest in exploring adaptation ideas, from planning professionals to school children, community groups to corporate business.

It is worth remembering that this resource is a collection of ideas – it is not descriptive, it is not a plan. There will be many more ways to get your own place climate ready.

The ideas for adaptation were gathered from a dynamic workshop with people working on adaptation across Scotland and in many different sectors. The discussions at this workshop were captured in images drawn as participants described the characteristics of each place, and then how climate impacts and our adaptation response would change that location. 

Funding

The project received additional funding from the Scottish Government, Scottish National Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland.

Downloadable resources

The Climate-Ready Places pictures and the expert information behind them are now available as downloadable resources for you to print off and use to start an adaptation conversation of your own.

Below you will find A3 printable versions of all six of our typical Scottish ‘places’, showing them as both unadapted and adapting areas. There are also Information Sheets for each of the six places, explaining the changes that have been made.

Printing note: To get the best out of these resources, we recommend printing the A3 posters single-sided. This allows them to be set down side by side, making it easier to see what has changed.

Lesson plans

Lesson plans for primary and secondary schools using Climate-Ready Places have been developed. These allow students to think about their place and different environments and how a changing climate might impact their place.

The above image is licensed and reproduced with permission from Big Stock Photo.

These resources allow students to think about their place and different environments and how a changing climate might impact their place. It allows students to consider and debate the positive and negative aspects of their place and how they might improve it. These resources also provide students with an opportunity to consider their own place in the context of a changing climate.

They can be used for general education purposes to raise awareness about place-making and climate change adaptation, or more specifically to help young people express their views about changes in their environment, or to contribute effectively to any climate adaptation strategy, plan or action process. The activities in the lesson plans could be run individually over the course of several weeks, or run consecutively as a one-off lesson.

Primary School

1. Climate-Ready Places Primary School Lesson Plan
2. Resource 1 – Background information for teachers
3. Resource 2 – Different environments
4. Resource 3 – Weather introduction
5. Resource 4 – Information sheet on landscape scenarios

Secondary School

1. Climate-Ready Places Secondary School Lesson Plan
2. Resource 1 – Different environments
3. Resource 2 – Presentation for students
4. Resource 3 – Key consequences
5. Resource 4 – Information sheet on landscape scenarios
6. Resource 5 – Place standard

Climate Cards

1. Climate Cards
2. Climate Cards – City
3. Climate Cards – Coastal
4. Climate Cards – Industrial
5. Climate Cards – Lowlands
6. Climate Cards – Suburbs
7. Climate Cards – Urban

Copyright

1. Copyright