Community Action:From top-down to bottom-up solutions

Fuad Ali, Duncan Thomas, Robby Soetanto and Aaron Mullins

What are the interactions betweenhouseholders, SMEs and decision-makers

regarding extreme weather events?

How can they inform attemptsto improve community resilience to EWEs?

Outline

Current adaptation scenario‘Post-LCLIP’ tool

Idealised vs actual situationsLocal authority ecology

Time horizonsSocial responsibility

Synthesis

Current Adaptation Scenario

• EW Events, Pitt Review, ‘snow tuning’• Legislative Entanglement

– Civil Contingencies – Climate Change – Planning, Flood

• National regime transition– Localism– Deficit Reduction– National Indicator removal– New local authority responsibilities (pluvial flood, health)

“Like all other local government departments in the country, my resources are virtually nil and I am being squeezed even harder at the moment .... but Climate Change adaptation cannot be implemented in a top down manner ... You need to get buy-in from the bottom.”

Climate change manager

“It’s all doom and gloom here at the moment!”Flood planning officer

Top-down approach: No resources, not practical

Top-down view: The ‘adapted citizen’

– Knows where to go for information– Knows about local flooding initiatives – Knows steps for local community to become as resilient as possible– Knows about local council actions, local planning, local MP actions, Central

Govt actions– Knows their local vulnerable people, ready to help them– Knows local risks at street level– Part of an active community network– High preparedness before a flood, insured against flooding– High awareness of potential flooding impacts on own home...

Sound like anyone you know?

‘Post LCLIP’ Tool

• Carries insights from the CREW experience• To be done by office of Chief Exec (or Deputy)

– Not an intern, a junior or a consultant• Sensitive to varying local authority ecologies• Flexible, policy-change proof • Foregrounds history, LA’s expertise/capacity • Inclusive and outward

Inter-relations:Idealised conception

DM

SME HH

The state can be expected to protect us from extreme

weather.

Citizen-state relations.Political liability.

Governmentality of environment, security

and community.

Are they going to charge me for anything?Why aren’t they clearing the drains?

Vulnerable stakeholderVital to local economy.

Corporate social responsibility

Community spirit.

Inter-relations:Actual situation

DM

SME HH

Seldom hear from council unless its over rates. Flood affected would appreciate solidarity.LA is viewed as a trustworthy source.

Difficult to ‘engage’. Need to drill down to that level after

big fish.

Customers understand our situation

Contradictory messages.Inadequate drain clearing.Support for local organisations diminishing.Ambiguity over social responsibility

Engagement costs. Blue rinse brigade. Public prefers to talk about anything else

Local businesses are part of the community

Local Authority:Adaptation Ecology

Drainage

Emergency Planning

Sustainability

Planning

Air Quality

Adaptation

Local Authority:Drivers

Climate Change Act 2008

Civil Contingencies Act 2004

EU Flood Directive NI188SFRA

Flood and Water Management Act 2010

The Environment Act 1995

PPS25 Development and Flood Risk

Local Resilience ForaDuty of care

Drainage

Emergency Planning

Planning

Air Quality

Sustainability

Adaptation

DRAIN

Section 106

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Nottingham Declaration

NPPF

Local Authority:Service provision

Drainage

Emergency Planning

Sustainability

Planning

Air Quality

EducationIT

Housing Waste

Adaptation

Local Authority:Multiple points of entry

Residents Association

Housing Association

Local History

Residential Social Landlord

Church-based Organisation

Drainage

Emergency Planning

Sustainability

Planning

Air Quality

River societyTransition Town

Local business associations

Implications of a complex bureaucratic space

Adaptation

Decision-makers:Differing time horizons

EmployeeChurn

Policy refresh

ElectionCycle

Time

Perceived importance

Planning Cycle

Hot issue

Slow burn

τ

Inter-relations: Social Responsibility

• Psychological exploration perceptions of social responsibility within and between stakeholderso Qualitative and quantitative methodso 481 completed questionnaires o 3 sites in Birmingham (incl control), 1 in SE Londono 174 cognitive mapping transcripts

• Variables includedo role o age, gender o ethnicityo prior experienceo location,o Social Responsibility scores

• Conceptual model of perceptions of social responsibility

Findings: Social Responsibility

Underpinning perceptions Powerlessness Societal Duty

Each stakeholders self-rated their own social responsibility higher than each other group

Gender: no difference Age: elder sections reported greater social responsibility Ethnicity: differentially reported level of social responsibility brought out

by experience

Conclusionso Shift to event and locally led adaptationo More inclusive adaptation conversationo Scope for greater LA role after EW eventso Better understanding LA self image and organisational

ecologyo LA view of local citizenry and CBO base

o Multiple points of entryo Leverage borough-wide interconnectionso Structural differences

o Findings carried by ‘post-LCLIP’ tool