In this page:
- Share your knowledge
- Learn more about supporting your local community in adaptation action
- Maintain individual and community wellbeing
- Read our latest news about Climate Adaptation in Scotland
Climate change is here.
“Beyond doing everything we can to cut emissions and slow the pace of global warming, we must adapt to climate consequences so we can protect ourselves and our communities.”
The United Nations
As our climate changes we need to prepare for its impacts. This is what the term climate adaptation describes – the process of responding to the changes and increasing our resilience to its effects in our day to day lives, both now and in the future.
Adaptation action is possible, desired, and underway. The majority of people in the UK are concerned about climate change, and together we can act to make positive differences to the health of people and the planet, to pass on a healthy world to future generations.
“Adapting to climate change will be necessary regardless of how much we manage to cut our carbon emissions. This is because historic emissions have already changed our climate and will continue to do so in the decades to come.”
Adaptation Scotland
Climate adaptation and climate mitigation work alongside each other (and, as you see below, often overlap). Adaptation focuses on adapting our systems, places and behaviours for the impacts we are already seeing; while mitigation takes steps to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, in order to limit future effects.
“We basically have three choices: mitigation, adaptation and suffering. We’re going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required and the less suffering there will be.”
John P Holdren, Senior Advisor to President Obama on Science and Technology
The way climate change impacts are experienced is different for different places, individuals, and communities – so the ways we adapt always need to respond to the specific situation. This is one of the many reasons why we at SCCAN believe that it’s vital that communities are in the driving seat on plans to prepare for and cope with climate impacts.
Some examples of adaptation steps that respond to direct impacts of climate change might include making changes to homes and building to be flood prepared, planting or preserving trees for shade or soil erosion protection, and making changed to crops grown to secure food sustainability in wetter or warmer weather.
There are also ways we may need to adapt to what are known as indirect systemic risks – these are impacts to people, infrastructure, health, the economy, societal systems and ecosystems that stem, or ‘cascade’, from the consequence of those direct impacts.
“Addressing climate change may seem like a massive challenge on top of all other things you are already working on as a community – it is complex, interconnected and it isn’t always easy to know where to start. But it is both crucial and possible to build resilience and adapt to the changing climate whilst tackling other important issues in your community such as housing and neighbourhoods, getting around, and skills and employment.
Whatever kind of community you are, there are things you can do to build resilience and prepare for climate change and at the same time make your place healthier, safer and more comfortable to live in for human and other creatures alike.”
Adaptation Scotland
Here at SCCAN our adaptation work focuses on increasing community resilience and knowledge of how to respond to climate change. So how can you get involved and be supported?
Share your knowledge
SCCAN are mapping community climate adaptation work across Scotland to gain an understanding of the different activities being undertaken on community climate adaptation and resilience. We realise local and community-led work may not be well known outside the immediate locality.
We would love to hear from any organisation – no matter how small or large – who are engaged in community-level preparation for climate impacts.
Please get in touch with our Adaptation Programme Lead, Rebecca Gibbs, on rebecca@sccan.scot
Learn more about supporting your local community in adaptation action
Explore the links below to learn more about how you can get started in your local place and community.
Adaptation ‘Whirlwind’ Presentation
A short, interactive presentation that can be used by any group that wants to better understand the impacts of climate change for their community and raise awareness of potential actions, from Adaptation Scotland.
Community Climate Adaptation Routemap
A practical ‘route map’ style guide for communities to adapt to climate change, from Adaptation Scotland
Hazard and Hope Video Series
Hazard and Hope’s ‘Our Flood Resilient Home’ video series tells the stories of different ways in which people have adapted their homes to be more flood resilient.
Create an emergency kit for your home
A guide and checklist to creating a home emergency kit and plan, from Ready Scot
Local Climate Adaptation Tool
An online local climate adaptation tool that shows predicted impacts of climate change at local authority region scale, and what adaptations could be considered
Scottish Flood Hazard and Risk Information
Scottish Environment Protection Agency Flood Maps Homepage, where you can check for long term flood risk in an area in Scotland and find out where to get information to manage your flood risk
Flood Mary
Flood Mary’s low tech flood resilience suggestions
Scottish Community Safety Network
Accessible Zine on Climate Change & Community Safety
Weather / adaptation Twitter list
SCCAN have put together a severe weather warning Twitter/X list. Feel free to follow/share the list.
Climate Ready Clyde
Sniffer, in partnership with Climate Ready Clyde, hosted an event for communities and community organisations in Glasgow City Region, supported by Adaptation Scotland and local authorities. The aim of the event was to create a foundation to support more meaningful, wider community participation in place-based climate adaptation and resilience.
Highland Adapts
Bringing our communities, businesses, land managers and public sector together to facilitate transformational action towards a prosperous, climate-ready Highland.
Report: Public perceptions of Scotland’s changing climate and resilience to climate impacts
SCCAN recently commissioned two reports conducted by CAG Environmental Consultants.
2. Public perceptions of Scotland’s changing climate and resilience to climate impacts: a snapshot.
Maintain individual and community wellbeing
Do you feel worried by climate impacts and the issues discussed here?
SCCAN recognises that the real world effects of climate change have significant impacts on day to day ways of life, and mental and physical health and wellbeing.
SCCAN runs Active Hope sessions to support people struggling with eco-anxiety. If you are interested for yourself and/or for a group, please contact us at info@sccan.scot.
The Climate Psychology Alliance are one organisation that provides support to individuals and groups struggling with eco-distress and offers safe spaces to share emotions surrounding the climate crisis.
Read our latest news about Climate Adaptation in Scotland
- Climate Adaptation: July / August news & events
Monthly round up of news and events relating to climate adaptation in Scotland. New reports on public perceptions of Scotland’s changing climate and resilience to climate impacts SCCAN has published… - Climate Adaptation: June/July news & events
Monthly round up of news and events relating to climate adaptation in Scotland. Angus Climate Hub seeks your Storm Stories This winter everyone in Angus endured record breaking floods, storms and tides. This… - Next steps for climate adaptation policy in Scotland: SCCAN Roundup
At the end of May, SCCAN was invited to speak at the Scotland Policy Conferences keynote seminar called “Next steps for climate adaptation policy in Scotland”. Emma Yule, who is…