Improving resilience to hot weather in the UK: The role of communication, behaviour and social insights in policy interventions

Howarth, Candice; Kantenbacher, Joseph; Guida, Kristen; Roberts, Tom; Rohse, Melanie

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2019.01.008

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…a stronger social network is associated with a more accurate risk perception) that may not result in better adaptive behaviors during a heat wave, which may in turn be related to other factors such as more education or higher income (Akompab et al, 2013). Recent research reinforces the importance of social processes in enhancing or limiting climate resilience measures (Howarth et al, 2019). Beyond social capital, broader factors also influence the uptake of protective behaviors, some of which can be targeted by education and outreach.…”

Section: Global Trends Acclimatization and Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat-health action plans in Europe: Challenges ahead and how to tackle them

Martínez¹,

Linares

Ayuso

et al. 2019

Environmental Research

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High temperatures have periodically affected large areas in Europe and urban settings. In particular, the deadly 2003 summer heat waves precipitated a multitude of national and subnational health prevention and research efforts. Building on these and other international experiences the WHO Regional Office for Europe developed and published in 2008 a comprehensive framework for prevention, the heat-health action plans (HHAPs). This provided a blueprint used by several national and subnational authorities to design their prevention efforts. A decade after the publication of the WHO guidance, a wealth of new evidence and acquired implementation experience has emerged around HHAP effectiveness; heat exposure; acclimatization and adaptation; heat-health governance and stakeholder involvement; and the role of urban design and greening interventions in prevention. This evidence and experience can guide the strategies to tackle current and upcoming challenges in protecting health from heat under a warming climate.

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Section: Global Trends Acclimatization and Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat-health action plans in Europe: Challenges ahead and how to tackle them

Martínez¹,

Linares

Ayuso

et al. 2019

Environmental Research

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“…However, experts categorize rising temperatures in the UK as a risk of the same severity and immediacy as flooding (CCC, 2017). There are some initial findings that people will follow heat risk information (Lefevre et al, 2015), but that it's not yet being sufficiently provided (Howarth et al, 2019). The decision making narrative referenced this as it criticized the lack of hot weather adaptation information available.…”

Section: Adaptation To Immediate Threatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Adaptation Stories are UK Newspapers Telling? A Narrative Analysis

Harcourt

Bruin

Dessai

et al. 2020

Environmental Communication

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Media coverage of climate change impacts and adaptation will likely influence how citizens think society can and should adapt. Here, we undertook the first analysis of UK newspaper adaptation coverage. We identified five prominent adaptation narratives: (1) the government should build more flood defences, (2) home owners should buy flood insurance, (3) individuals should become more informed, (4) the farming industry should innovate, (5) and the natural environment should fight for its survival. We find that only some of the more immediate climate change impacts likely to affect the UK are presented as necessitating a response. The government is considered primarily responsible while UK citizens are given few and narrow responsibilities. The range of adaptive actions under consideration is limited and unchallenging to the status quo. In summary, newspaper coverage presents a restricted view as to when the UK should adapt and how it could adapt.

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“…Building strategic responses to climate risks and enhancing national resilience require multi-faceted, multi-scale, dynamic, and reflexive decision-making processes (Howarth et al 2019) to better combine responsibility for resilience and adaptation to climate change. The UK Committee on Climate Change's (CCC) 2019 'Progress in preparing for climate change' report shows that adaptation for different risks across many sectors still requires further work and specifies that responses and resilience could be improved by enhancing clarity of plans and analysing both 2°C and 4°C scenarios (CCC 2019).…”

Section: Complexity In Defining and Operationalising Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

Informing UK governance of resilience to climate risks: improving the local evidence-base

et al. 2020

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International assessments of evidence on climate change (e.g. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC) or national climate change risk assessments (e.g. UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, CCRA) do not offer a sufficiently granular perspective on climate impacts to adequately inform governance of resilience to climate risks at the local level. Using an analysis of UK decision-makers managing and responding to heatwaves and flood risks, this paper argues how more robust local evidence is needed to inform decision-making regarding adaptation options for enhancing local resilience. We identify evidence gaps and issues relating to local climate change impacts, including sources and quality of evidence used, adequacy and accessibility of evidence available, illcommunicated evidence and conflicting or misused evidence. A lack of appreciation regarding how scientific evidence and personal judgement can mutually enhance the quality of decision-making underpins all of these gaps. Additionally, we find that the majority of evidence currently used is reductively based upon socioeconomic and physical characteristics of climate risks. We argue that a step change is needed in local climate resilience that moves beyond current physical and socioeconomic risk characterisation to a more inclusive co-constitution of social and politically defined climate risks at the local scale that are better aligned with the local impacts felt and needs of stakeholders.

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Improving resilience to hot weather in the UK: The role of communication, behaviour and social insights in policy interventions

Cited by 15 publications

References 13 publications

Heat-health action plans in Europe: Challenges ahead and how to tackle them

Heat-health action plans in Europe: Challenges ahead and how to tackle them

What Adaptation Stories are UK Newspapers Telling? A Narrative Analysis

Informing UK governance of resilience to climate risks: improving the local evidence-base

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