Understanding climate change resilience

Resilience is the ability of a person, household or community to successfully adapt to adversity and capitalise on opportunities while maintaining quality of life over the long term. To be resilient to climate change, Canberrans need to be able to successfully adapt to increasing frequency and severity of events such as heatwave, storms, bushfires and drought.

Many things contribute to climate change resilience. The one most people think about is emergency preparedness, and this is important – having an emergency plan, preparing your home to reduce risk of damage, building an emergency kit and discussing your plans with others all help reduce the damage experienced from extreme events like storms. However, being resilient to climate change goes well beyond emergency planning. Having access to a range of resilience resources – such as social networks people can call on for support, financial resources, and a home that is comfortable and safe in heatwaves, droughts and storms – is central to resilience. Overall, a person who is highly resilient to all expected effects of climate change will typically have good access to six types of resilience resources, each of which uniquely contributes to helping them prepare for, cope with and recover from the impacts of climate change: 

1. Individual resilience: resources such as having skills, access to financial resources, and have access to social networks of friends and family that people can draw on to cope and adapt to climate-related events 
2. Community resilience: living in a community with good access to services, well designed infrastructure that reduces impacts of climate change (such as having good shade in residential areas), and high functioning organisations, including both government and the wide range of community organisations that support people when challenging times happen, from the local community Facebook group to local schools, and community centres
3. Heatwave resilience: access to heat refuges and positive coping strategies, in particular a residence that can be affordably maintained at a comfortable temperature 
4. Extreme weather resilience: being prepared for extreme weather events such as storms, bushfire and flood, including having insurance or other financial preparedness strategies and clear emergency plans 
5. Drought resilience: ability to maintain gardens and nature connection in dry times 
6. Awareness and support for action: awareness of expected effects of climate change and confidence both to take individual action, and to support government adaptation action.

How resilient are Canberrans?

In 2018 and 2023, UC researchers assessed the resilience of Canberrans to climate change. The 2018 survey sought to establish a baseline of Canberrans level of climate change resilience, while in 2023 the focus was on tracking how different aspects of resilience are changing since 2018.  

The 2018 survey heard from of 2,671 people over 18 years old. The study found that most Canberrans had moderate to high resilience. However, resilience was low for one in three people. People with low resilience are highly vulnerable to negative impacts from the effects of climate change. Younger people, renters, and those living in Gungahlin were found to be amongst the most vulnerable – while many older people who owned their own homes had higher resilience. 

The study found that key strengths for climate change resilience in the ACT included high levels of awareness of climate change and support for taking action to address it. However, it also found that some experience barriers to be able to implement actions to improve climate change resilience. Another key strength was that a high proportion of Canberrans had good access to financial resources. However, access to strong social networks – which is just as important as having financial resources – was somewhat lower. This means that when an extreme event hits – such as a major storm causing an extended blackout – a significant proportion of Canberrans don’t have people they can turn to who can help them store food, give them a place to stay for a couple of nights, or help them to repair damage around their home. Improving these social networks can significantly increase climate change resilience. 

A key challenge identified in the report was that many of Canberra’s homes do not do well at protecting their residents during extended heatwaves. Heatwaves are the event that places the largest number of Canberrans at risk of harm to their health from climate change. Living in a home that warms up fast but doesn’t cool down easily – at least, not without expensive air conditioning – increases these health risks. Improving the performance of Canberra’s homes in heatwaves can improve climate change resilience, while also reducing energy use – a win-win for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving resilience. 

The 2018 report identified it was important to develop specific supports that target those who do not have the means to adapt to the impacts of climate change on their own. Amongst those with low and very low resilience, limited access to resilience resources is reducing ability to adapt: despite high willingness, these groups require support to adapt.

Building resilience

This study has informed the ACT Climate Change Strategy 2019-25, which is used to inform ACT Government policies and programs and help to identify priority areas for ACT Government investment (Target 3.2, page 15 of 2024-25 Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate Budget Statement) which will help Canberrans successfully adapt to climate change. By highlighting the specific needs of groups such as renters and younger people, the study has helped identify the need for specific programs and policies that help these groups have the same opportunities to live as well in a changing climate as others.

A second wave survey was conducted in 2023 with findings given to Government. UC researchers continue to support Canberrans climate change resilience by tracking whether policies are resulting in positive change. 

Research team

Researchers from Centre for Environmental Governance and the Faculty of Business, Government and Law

• Jacki Schirmer
• Michael Dale

Read more

Learn more about the findings of the 2018 Report: Living well with a changing climate

ACT residents happier than other regions, new report shows, UC News, 2023

Your input could help the ACT live well with climate extremes, The RiotACT, 2023

Canberra ranked second best city in the world for quality of life, Canberra Times, 2024