Heather Bosselmann: We're stronger together; connection is empowering

Recent conversations have already sparked better-prepared communities along our coast, writes Heather Bosselmann. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:
When we think about resilience to climate change, we often think about sea walls or houses on stilts or better drainage. But what about how we cope as a community?

Resilience is the ability of a system to manage short-term disruptions and adapt to long-term changes without losing its essential character. That character is partly physical – our coastline, our ranges, the plains and rivers – but also, less-tangible elements of local culture: community identity, sense of place, belonging.

This winter the news has been full of flooding, landslides and new highest rainfalls. That's just New Zealand. Internationally, floods, heatwaves and devastating fires dominate the news. Threats to our physical environment impact us on personal, cultural and emotional levels. How do we set aside panic and work out what changes we can make, individually and as a community? How do we adapt to a changing world without losing our community's character?

What matters is building strong, resilient communities that know they can weather the impending storm. The resilience I'm talking about isn't physical resilience, although that's important too. What's really important is our community's emotional resilience, the ability to adapt to stressful situations. The effects of climate change are far worse for disconnected and disempowered communities facing an uncertain future without the support they need.

We are strongest together; connection is empowering.

In a fabulous twist of fate, the cultural changes we need to make to reduce our emissions create opportunities to build that strong community base. In a low-emissions world we live our lives locally with much less reliance on personal cars. We spend time in our neighbourhood. We invest more emotional energy in our local community and it grows stronger as a result. We shop local, support local, live local. We pool our resources and rely on each other.

To be resilient we also need to continue to educate ourselves and take opportunities to process change and be heard. We need to make sure space is carved out for all communities, not just the ones who are most vocal, to build everyone's resilience. The mental, physical and practical switch required isn't easy. It requires a co-ordinated effort from central and local government, local iwi and community groups. It requires lifting the 'environmental IQ' of people, providing opportunities to process change, ask questions and be heard.

This is a big task, but our communities are up for the challenge. We have already begun conversations with our coastal communities as part of our work on the Coastal Hazard Management Strategy. The result is more-aware and better-prepared communities along our coast.

When we make decisions with and for our community, we need those decisions to be empathy driven. We need our community to think beyond personal positions, to the impacts on the whole community. How we live and where we live are fundamental parts of our identity. Changes to them require considered thought and time to process.

More than anything, if we want an emotionally resilient Hawke's Bay that is ready for whatever the future holds, we have to be there for one another. Connected communities that are reliant on one another are strong and able communities, ready to make changes for a better future.

• Heather Bosselmann is senior policy analyst for climate resilience at Napier City Council.

• Get in touch at climateaction@hbrc.govt.nz