Climate change adaptation: Community action, disadvantaged groups and practice implications for social work

This paper explores community-level action in relation to socially based climate change adaptations for vulnerable citizens—older people in particular. While awareness of risk and adaptation has increased in various institutions across Australia, the translation of awareness into action is limited, particularly in the area of socially based adaptive measures for the most vulnerable. Through content analysis of local government documents in two major Australian cities, this paper assesses the extent of action and identifies trends and strategies in relation to social adaptation. Findings indicate varying levels of action and some examples of “best practice,” but overall, evidence indicates more effort is needed at the community level. The role of the social work profession in challenging and broadening discourse is also explored especially in terms of highlighting the social impacts of climate change in future policy development, community action, and initiatives.