Climate-ready communities

Climate change is happening and is here to stay.

Whether it's bushfires, heatwaves, floods or cyclones, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense. With the poor and vulnerable likely to be hit the hardest, it's essential that communities are supported to adapt to the changing conditions.

Red Cross has developed Climate-Ready Communities: A Guide to Getting Started to support communities to have their own conversation about how the things they value will be impacted by climate change, and what they can do to continue to thrive.

This guide is for anyone wanting to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change, whether they be individuals, a self-organised community group, local council or community service provider.

Want to find out what’s happening in southern Adelaide?

Check out the Climate Ready Communities Project page »

What's involved in making your community 'climate ready'?

Stage 1: Understand what climate change means for your community

Let's start with the basics.

Climate change is making extreme weather events and disasters more frequent and intense across the world. These changes will impact just about every aspect of our lives. Climate Ready Communities explains how you can find out what climate change will mean for your community.

Stage 2: Get ready to engage your community

Once you understand how climate change can to impact your area, it is time to develop a plan for having a conversation with your community. This means getting clear about who you want to talk with and why.

Check out Climate Ready Communities for some tips to help you think through who you might like to involve from your community, and key messages when talking with them.

Stage 3: Have a climate-ready conversation

Values can be a good place to start a conversation. This involves:

• Beginning with a chat about individual and community values
• Create a link between these values and climate change
• Considering the strengths and resources that will help the community to adapt
• Exploring options available to help your community become climate ready

• Sharing stories of what people are already doing to adapt to a changing climate

Stage 4: Identify your next steps

The final stage in supporting your community to get climate ready is to help people work out their next steps.

Actions will vary depending on the people you are working with. Climate Ready Communities contains action checklists for individuals and households, community groups and organisations, community service organisations and local councils.

One of the most important actions you can take is to prepare your household for emergencies and start to build your own personal support network.