Coastal Climate Conversations

The potential effect of the climate crisis on disadvantaged UK coastal towns and communities (CTCs) has been recognised for some time. Prof Chris Whitty, in his 2021 report on health in CTCs, noted that a recent review had found ‘good evidence that some adaptation policies and measures have unequal benefits and risk disadvantaging poorer households.’

Eastern Arc, working with Southend-on-Sea City Council, aims to take steps towards addressing this. Together, the Consortium and the Council will explore the issues faced by communities and stakeholders, and how they can work with world-leading researchers within their regional universities to address these.

They aim to think differently about the situation. Can the cost-of-living crisis act as a catalyst for change? Is it possible to change long-term global outcomes by addressing the immediate needs and concerns of both individuals and institutions?

This will be the first of a series of ‘coastal climate conversations’. In each, there will be short talks or ‘provocations’, after which participants will discuss a small number of key questions suggested by the speakers, which will enable a wider-ranging discussion. At the end of each session key points will be gathered from the room. Further workshops will expand and draw in more stakeholders, which will result in pilot projects that will test the viability of the solutions identified.