EXTREME WEATHER PREPAREDNESS, PLANNING AND RESILIENCE: MOVING TOWARDS A PROACTIVE ‘WHOLE-OF-SOCIETY’ APPROACH

Online Live Conference Wednesday 12th February 2025

Chair’s Welcome and Opening Remarks 

Charlie Hall QPM, Former Chief Constable, Hertfordshire Constabulary; Former National Police Strategic Lead, JESIP 

Summary of Opening Remarks

The chair's opening remarks on Extreme Weather Preparedness, Planning, and Resilience emphasised the importance of addressing the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events due to climate change. The speaker highlighted the urgent need for robust prevention frameworks, effective response strategies, and seamless coordination among various agencies and sectors.

Key Points

1. Urgency of the Issue:

• Climate change is leading to more frequent and severe weather events, posing significant risks to communities worldwide.

• Recent events, such as the floods in Valencia, Spain, underscore the life-threatening impacts of extreme weather.

2. Public Accounts Committee Report:

• The report on Government Resilience: Extreme Weather highlights the necessity for robust prevention frameworks and effective response strategies.

3. Whole-of-Society Approach:

• Emphasises the importance of engaging all sectors of society, including local authorities, emergency planning teams, civil contingencies, local resilience forums, and the private and voluntary sectors.

• A unified effort is required to protect communities and build resilience.

4. Sharing Best Practices:

• The conference aims to share innovative best practices and learn from one another to develop effective strategies for managing extreme weather risks.

5. Coordination through JESIP:

• The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) provide a framework for enhancing multi-agency collaboration and ensuring a cohesive response.

• Adhering to JESIP principles aids agencies in enhancing their interoperability, ensuring a more efficient and effective response to emergencies.

6. Focus on Vulnerable Populations:

• Prioritising the protection of the most vulnerable populations to ensure that resilience efforts are inclusive and equitable.

7. Call to Action:

• Encourages participants to actively engage in discussions, share insights, and collaborate on developing solutions to enhance preparedness and resilience.

These key points underscore the collective effort needed to address the challenges posed by extreme weather events.

Keynote Session: Strengthening National Resilience to Extreme Weather Events

Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency

 

Overview

The keynote session by Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency, emphasising the increasing risk of flooding due to climate change and the need for a proactive, whole-of-society approach to resilience. The session highlighted recent flooding events, the impact on properties, and the importance of community engagement, improved modelling, and investment in flood defences.

Key Points

1. Recent Flooding Events: Significant incidents in the UK, US, and Australia, with over 1600 properties flooded in the UK in 2024.

2. Climate Change: Rising river and sea levels are increasing flood risks.

3. Flood Risk Management: Improved data modelling and ongoing investments in flood defences.

4. Community Engagement: Public awareness and government task forces are important to improve emergency response.

5. Infrastructure Management: We need to maintain existing flood defences and collaborate with local authorities.

6. Future Solutions: Emphasis on alternative solutions, including nature-based approaches and enhanced warning systems.

   
   

As climate change heightens the risk of flooding, it has become increasingly important to collaborate with natural systems to mitigate these impacts. The Environment Agency has recently updated its publication, "Working with Natural Processes: Evidence Directory Update," in partnership with JBA Consulting. This document consolidates the latest research on natural flood management (NFM), highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing the nation's resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. First published in 2017, this internationally recognised directory showcases the diverse ways that nature-based solutions can bolster flood resilience. The growing body of evidence supporting NFM approaches has strengthened our understanding of their benefits in addressing flood risk and contributing to broader environmental advantages.

Panel Session One: Understanding and Responding to Escalating Climate Change Risks 

Phil Emonson, Technical Director; Climate Resilience Transformation Lead, JBA Consulting

Overview

Phil Emonson spotlighted and introduced the need for a whole-of-society approach to resilience in managing flood risk and addressing climate change. He emphasised the importance of integrating various interventions, improving community engagement, and preparing for future challenges.

Key Points

1. Historical Context: Initiatives like Making Space for Water and the Pitt Review emerged after major flooding in 2007. The National Resilience Framework (2022) and Coastal Erosion Risk Management strategy aim for climate readiness.

2. Understanding Resilience: Resilience should encompass a broad range of strategies, not just protection, including warning systems, strategic planning, and nature-based solutions.

3. Community and Asset Resilience: Different approaches are needed for community resilience (e.g., flood warnings) versus asset resilience (e.g., infrastructure downtime).

4. Integrated Outcomes: Achieving resilience involves integrating social, environmental, and human capitals to enhance awareness, adaptation, response, and recovery.

5. Collaboration and Integration: Collaboration across disciplines and with stakeholders is crucial. Activities like the JBA Resilience Podcast foster knowledge sharing.

6. Future Challenges: A wider portfolio of interventions is needed to address climate change, focusing on enhancing social, human, natural, and system resilience.

Ed Beard, Assistant Director for the Environment, National Infrastructure Commission 

Overview

Ed Beard emphasised the need for a proactive, whole-of-society approach to resilience against extreme weather events. He highlights the importance of long-term planning, investment in infrastructure, and collaboration across sectors to address challenges such as water supply, flood resilience, and interdependencies between infrastructure systems.

Key Points

1. Water Supply: Improve water efficiency, reduce leakage, and invest in new infrastructure to ensure resilience to drought.

2. Flood Resilience: Develop a long-term plan for flood protection with continuous investment and clear targets.

3. Surface Water Flooding: Control permeable surfaces, understand flood risks and create a single, funded plan involving key stakeholders.

4. Infrastructure Resilience: Integrate resilience planning across water, digital, energy, and transport systems with outcome-based standards.

5. Interdependencies: Recognize and manage interdependencies between infrastructure systems, making necessary trade-offs.

6. Future Planning: Establish the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority to deliver long-term strategies and address climate change challenges.

Carney Bonner, Security and Resilience Manager, Great Western Railway

Overview

Carney Bonner discussed the impacts of extreme weather on railway operations and the importance of resilience planning. He called for proactive measures, collaboration, and investment in technology to ensure the safety and reliability of railway services amidst climate change.

Key Points

1. Geographical Challenges: Diverse weather-related challenges across a large operational area.

2. Risk Management: Collaboration with safety boards to mitigate environmental impacts.

3. Case Studies: Learning from past incidents like the 2014 Dawlish collapse.

4. Technology and Infrastructure: Investing in technology to predict and mitigate weather impacts.

5. Human Impact: Addressing the broader impacts on people and communities, focusing on both short-term and long-term resilience.

Daniel Bicknell, Climate Adaptation Manager, Greater London Authority 

Overview

Daniel Bicknell highlighted the importance of proactive climate change adaptation in London, emphasising the role of local plans, retrofitting, and innovation for proactive risk management and resilience. He discussed strategies to address flood and heat risks, focusing on community engagement, sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS), and the integration of innovative solutions to enhance resilience.

Key Points

1. Local Plan: A powerful tool for controlling new buildings, development locations, and flood management, ensuring sustainable and resilient urban development.

2. Retrofitting: strategic flood risk management group and plan, goal to create 7,000 hectares for SuDS implementation and promoting tactical upgrades to existing infrastructure.

3. Innovation: Leveraging innovation funds to accelerate the SuDS market and adopting an integrated approach to climate adaptation across 33 boroughs.

Panel Session Two: Delivering Effective Emergency Responses and Building Long-Term Resilience 

Professor Duncan Shaw, Co-Chair, National Consortium for Societal Resilience; Professor of Critical Systems, The University of Manchester 

Overview

Professor Duncan Shaw outlined the importance of a whole-of-society approach to resilience. He detailed the role of community engagement, volunteer coordination, and strategic support in building societal resilience, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Points

1. Whole-of-Society Approach: Involving individuals, community groups, businesses, and organisations in resilience-building efforts.

2. Community Engagement: Engaging local communities to reduce risks, understand vulnerabilities, and enhance preparedness.

3. Volunteer Coordination: Effective coordination of spontaneous volunteers to ensure swift and efficient emergency responses.

4. Adaptability: The need for flexible and adaptable strategies to address evolving risks and vulnerabilities.

5. Community Emergency Hubs: Establishing hubs for faster, safer, and locally appropriate responses to disruptions.

6. Strategic Support: Aligning partners and integrating resilience capabilities into local structures.

7. Focus on Vulnerable Persons: Ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable 20% of the population are met through trusted local networks.

8. Knowledge Exchange: Using webinars and other platforms to share resilience insights and best practices across the country.

   
   

These initiatives aim to build a cohesive, risk-aware, and prepared society that can effectively enhance local resilience.

Professor David Alexander, Professor of Emergency Planning and Management, University College London; Chair of Trustees, Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management 

Overview

Professor David Alexander emphasised the complexities of resilience in disaster management. He stressed the need to adapt resilience concepts to current conditions, understand vulnerabilities, and use foresight in emergency planning to address future threats.

Key Points

1. Concept of Resilience: Resilience must adapt to rapid and abrupt changes, moving beyond the idea of equilibrium.

2. Understanding Vulnerability: Addressing both specific and general vulnerabilities is crucial for effective disaster management.

3. Information and Communication Technology: Managing the perception gap between public beliefs and scientific objectivity is essential.

4. Civil Protection Culture: Building a culture of civil protection requires community engagement and long-term investment.

5. Emergency Planning and Foresight: Using scenario analysis and other techniques to prepare for future emergencies.

6. Challenges and Future Directions: Addressing technological failures, mass migration, and large geophysical events while involving the public and maintaining scientific integrity.

7. Capacity & Capability: Building a civil protection system that’s fit for the future requires strategic prioritisation and resources to scale up the existing piecemeal system to build a robust set of local to national resilience capabilities.  

Nathan Hazlehurst, Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Manager, Worcestershire County Council 

Overview

Nathan Hazlehurst outlined and discussed the practical aspects of emergency planning and resilience at the local level. He highlighted the challenges of managing concurrent incidents, the importance of community engagement, and the role of voluntary organisations in enhancing local resilience.

Key Points

1. Local Context: Worcestershire's two-tier authority structure and frequent extreme weather events.

2. Frequent Incidents: Regular major flood events and other weather-related incidents requiring coordinated responses.

3. Challenges: Managing concurrent incidents with limited resources and coordinating across multiple counties.

4. Support Strategies: Utilizing advisory services, maintaining strong multi-agency relationships, and developing robust plans.

5. Community Engagement: Working with parish councils and communities on local emergency plans.

6. Voluntary Sector: Vital role of voluntary organisations in emergency response and managing spontaneous volunteers.

Panel Session Three: Protecting People and Communities through a ‘Whole-of-Society’ Approach 

Agostinho Moreira de Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)

Overview

Agostinho Moreira de Sousa discussed the impacts of adverse weather in the context of climate change. He discussed the development and implementation of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan, which aims to protect public health through actionable strategies, evidence-based recommendations, and a comprehensive alerting system.

Key Points

1. Centre for Climate and Health Security: Emphasises the UK government's commitment to tackling climate change and health impacts.

2. Adverse Weather and Health Plan: Launched in 2023, focusing on actionable strategies to replace previous heatwave and cold weather plans.

3. Program of Work: Includes guidance, evidence, and weather health alerts to inform and protect the public.

4. Goals and Objectives: Four main goals and nine objectives guide the plan's implementation, focusing on service delivery, communication, capacity building, and collaboration.

5. Quality Management: Implementation of a quality management system to ensure high standards and increase trust.

6. Roles and Responsibilities: Defined roles for various delivery groups, including governmental departments and the voluntary sector.

7. Weather Health Alerting System: Provides alerts based on scientific evidence to trigger necessary actions during extreme weather.

8. Monitoring and Evaluation: Annual reports and scientific evaluations ensure transparency and continuous improvement.

9. Built Environment Challenges: Addressing the need for the UK’s built environment to adapt to future temperatures and broader societal impacts.

Marcus Bowen, Capability Development Lead, VCS Emergencies Partnership 

Overview

Marcus Bowen emphasised the importance of integrating a rights-based approach into emergency planning and response. He highlights the need for collaboration between voluntary, community, and public sector partners to ensure that people and communities are at the heart of emergency responses.

Key Points

1. Voluntary Community Sector Emergencies Partnership: Formed in 2018 in response to major emergencies like the Grenfell Tower fire and terror attacks, aiming to connect partners before, during, and after emergencies.

2. Rights-Based Approach: Ensures people's rights are central to policies and practices, enhancing existing ways of working by incorporating human rights standards.

3. Risk and Rights-Based Approaches: Combines risk-based planning with rights-based approaches to create holistic and resilient emergency plans.

4. Community Engagement: Stresses the importance of building strong relationships with local organizations and empowering communities to understand their own needs.

5. Tools and Resources: Development of tools like the Train the Trainer exercising tool and equality impact assessments to help organizations incorporate rights-based approaches.

6. Human Impact: Highlights the tragic story of Maureen Gilbert to illustrate the real consequences of not considering the needs of vulnerable individuals in emergency planning.

“Can’t plan for everything, instead plan for anything” 

Christopher Scott, Assistant Manager, Resilience and Emergencies Team, West Sussex County Council; Co-Chair, National Consortium for Societal Resilience 

Overview

Chris Scott discussed the importance of a whole-of-society approach to resilience. He elaborated on the need for effective communication, education, and collaboration to empower communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

Key Points

1. Whole-of-Society Approach: Emphasizes that resilience is greater when all parts of society work together. This approach has gained traction since the publication of the UK Government's resilience framework.

2. Community Resilience Program: Developed in response to significant flooding in 2011, this program aims to empower local communities through education and practical support. It includes initiatives like the "What If?" program to help communities prepare for emergencies.

3. Five Main Pillars: The program focuses on resilient young people, stronger communities, business resilience, health and well-being, and sustainability and resilience.

4. Collaboration: Stresses the importance of collaboration among emergency planners, responders, and local resilience forums (LRFs) to ensure effective emergency response and recovery.

5. Community Emergency Hubs: Based on a model from Wellington, New Zealand, run by the community to coordinate efforts during and after disruptions.

6. Adaptation Pathways: Developed through workshops to ensure timely and informed decisions, focusing on improving extreme weather resilience.

7. Business Continuity: Highlighted by the impact of Storm Kieran in 2023 and the importance of business continuity planning to mitigate the effects of such events.

8. Musical Analogy: Compares resilience efforts to conducting an orchestra, where every instrument (or community member) plays a vital role, stressing the importance of practice and rehearsal.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Summary

The wrap-up session addressed the increasing risks of extreme weather and the need for better preparedness. The panel discussed whether we are improving in dealing with these risks and emphasized the importance of effective communication, education, and collaboration. Key points included the mixed preparedness across different regions, the impact of media on public perception, and the need for trusted voices to convey important messages. The discussion also highlighted the importance of addressing new risks like heatwaves and wildfires, not just flooding.

Key Points:

1. Mixed Preparedness: Some areas are more adept at handling certain risks, while others are not as prepared.

2. Media Influence: Media messaging can impact public perception and response to climate risks.

3. Trusted Voices: Using trusted community figures to convey messages can be more effective than official channels.

4. New Risks: Emphasis on the need to address emerging risks like heatwaves and wildfires.

5. Collaboration: Essential for whole-of-society resilience, involving communities, voluntary sectors, and local resilience forums.

6. Community Engagement: Importance of involving communities in planning and response efforts.

7. Business Continuity: Highlighted the need for effective business continuity planning.

8. Learning from Others: Encouraged learning from international examples to improve local resilience efforts.

9. Human-Centric Approach: Focus on protecting people, their rights, and dignity, ensuring plans cater to diverse needs.

   
   

The session concluded with a reminder of the importance of partnership and communication in developing effective emergency plans and the need to involve communities at the local level.