DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Place-Based Engagement Strategies with Local Communities for better Climate Resilience Governance in Disaster Situations

Project disclaimer

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Description

This project aims to develop place-based and context-specific civic engagement strategies in collaboration with local government officials and relevant civic stakeholders in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The goal is to help local authorities increase awareness of climate change challenges and engage communities in building resilience against disasters. Recent floods in the area have exposed a significant lack of public awareness regarding climate vulnerability and its consequences. This lack of awareness has heightened the population's vulnerability to future extreme weather events, leaving the region less capable of adapting to extreme weather-related impacts of climate change, such as floods, heavy storms, and heatwaves and their consequences. To address these challenges, the project seeks to empower local authorities to develop better tools and methods for engagement processes that help deliver climate resilience strategies and broaden local voices in policy making. Focusing on Caxias do Sul, the project seeks to foster collaborations between researchers from Brazil and the UK to enable local authorities create innovative and effective approaches for disaster preparedness and response and co-produce climate resilience strategies. This initiative will be delivered through a series of workshops organised in partnership with researchers from the Universidade de Caxias do Sul. The primary objective is to enhance the capacity of local governments in Rio Grande do Sul to engage effectively with communities for improved climate resilience governance in disaster-prone areas. The workshops will foster dialogue between UK and Brazilian researchers and local stakeholders to develop and share best practices and methodologies for community engagement. They will address challenges such as inclusion, communication, and policy integration, emphasising practical implementation and sustainability. By providing a platform for exchanging ideas and strategies, the workshops aim to create adaptable solutions for diverse contexts. As the impacts of climate change affect us more and more, local governments face the pressing challenge of building long term resilience while effectively responding to disasters. Historically, top-down response efforts and mitigation strategies have often failed to meet local needs on the ground. Recently, the focus has been shifting towards policies that leverage local expertise and resources, emphasising the need for civic engagement. Local communities are the first responders to disasters and by involving them in producing, planning and delivering climate resilience knowledge and strategies, local governments can tap into valuable local assets, foster a sense of ownership, and ensure the long-term sustainability of their efforts. Collaborative, place-based approaches not only improve the relevance and effectiveness of climate mitigation and adaptation measures, but also strengthen civic resilience and address broader issues of sustainability. By adopting a context-sensitive and inclusive approach to climate resilience governance, local governments can better address the complexities of climate change adaptation and mitigation, deal better with disaster situations such as the recent floods in the region, and enhance the overall well-being and adaptive capacity of their communities. This project represents a critical step towards building more resilient and sustainable cities in the face of growing climate challenges.

Objectives

This project aims to develop place-based and context-specific civic engagement strategies in collaboration with local government officials and relevant civic stakeholders in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The goal is to help local authorities increase awareness of climate change challenges and engage communities in building resilience against disasters. Recent floods in the area have exposed a significant lack of public awareness regarding climate vulnerability and its consequences. This lack of awareness has heightened the population's vulnerability to future extreme weather events, leaving the region less capable of adapting to extreme weather-related impacts of climate change, such as floods, heavy storms, and heatwaves and their consequences. To address these challenges, the project seeks to empower local authorities to develop better tools and methods for engagement processes that help deliver climate resilience strategies and broaden local voices in policy making. Focusing on Caxias do Sul, the project seeks to foster collaborations between researchers from Brazil and the UK to enable local authorities create innovative and effective approaches for disaster preparedness and response and co-produce climate resilience strategies. This initiative will be delivered through a series of workshops organised in partnership with researchers from the Universidade de Caxias do Sul. The primary objective is to enhance the capacity of local governments in Rio Grande do Sul to engage effectively with communities for improved climate resilience governance in disaster-prone areas. The workshops will foster dialogue between UK and Brazilian researchers and local stakeholders to develop and share best practices and methodologies for community engagement. They will address challenges such as inclusion, communication, and policy integration, emphasising practical implementation and sustainability. By providing a platform for exchanging ideas and strategies, the workshops aim to create adaptable solutions for diverse contexts. As the impacts of climate change affect us more and more, local governments face the pressing challenge of building long term resilience while effectively responding to disasters. Historically, top-down response efforts and mitigation strategies have often failed to meet local needs on the ground. Recently, the focus has been shifting towards policies that leverage local expertise and resources, emphasising the need for civic engagement. Local communities are the first responders to disasters and by involving them in producing, planning and delivering climate resilience knowledge and strategies, local governments can tap into valuable local assets, foster a sense of ownership, and ensure the long-term sustainability of their efforts. Collaborative, place-based approaches not only improve the relevance and effectiveness of climate mitigation and adaptation measures, but also strengthen civic resilience and address broader issues of sustainability. By adopting a context-sensitive and inclusive approach to climate resilience governance, local governments can better address the complexities of climate change adaptation and mitigation, deal better with disaster situations such as the recent floods in the region, and enhance the overall well-being and adaptive capacity of their communities. This project represents a critical step towards building more resilient and sustainable cities in the face of growing climate challenges.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Brazil

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