This is how we integrate just resilience into our work
In the following text are some examples of how just resilience is integrated into our materials and tools.
Examples from SMHI
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) has prepared various types of materials and tools to support and inspire climate change adaptation efforts. Much of this material is now several years old and needs to be supplemented with a justice perspective. Work to integrate justice into this material is therefore underway. Below, we briefly describe the progress made thus far.
In 2023, we conducted a survey in order to understand what justice in climate adaptation means in a Swedish context, what work is being done in this area and what support and tools different social actors would like to have at their disposal. Interviews were conducted with a number of municipalities and county administrative boards all over Sweden, as well as government agencies and researchers. These interviews reveal a knowledge gap concerning justice and how it can be integrated into climate adaptation work, as well as the need to integrate the justice perspective in climate adaptation into existing tools. It was also apparent that particular attention needs to be paid to gender equality and Sami rights.
Example: Rain playground in Gothenburg – a playful solution to a wet challenge
Example: The climate adaptation of Sapmi communities through collaboration
Klimatanpassning.se
A consultant was engaged to review the information, articles and images on the website klimatanpassning.se, the Swedish online portal for climate adaptation, from a justice perspective. The content and tonality of the website was examined and the review led to a number of recommendations concerning both changes to existing text and images and how work should be conducted in future.
Case studies on klimatanpassning.se
Case studies of climate adaptation measures have been compiled on the website over the years in the hope that highlighting concrete examples of measures implemented around the country would inspire further work.
As part of efforts to ensure that aspects of justice are addressed in future case studies, new questions have been added to the questionnaire on which they are based. These include: “Who has participated in developing the measure?” “Who benefits from the measure?” and “Has the measure created added value for the community and/or...?”
Podcast
SMHI has a podcast in which employees working in various areas of the agency’s operations are interviewed. One of the episodes introduces the basic concept of just resilience, why it is important and how it can be operationalised.
A toolkit on climate adaptation
To support municipalities, SMHI previously prepared a toolkit to climate adaptation, with the aim of providing a structured working method on which to base their climate adaptation work. As it did not clearly link to just resilience, this toolkit needed to be revised.
Climate adaptation toolkit (in Swedish)
External link.
Each step of the working method has been reviewed from a justice perspective – primarily based on the three key dimensions of just resilience: distributional, procedural and recognitional – and with a specific focus on gender equality and Sami rights. The emphasis has been on increasing awareness of and raise questions about aspects of justice when using the guide.
Below is a summary of the aspects of justice that are highlighted at each stage of the guide. In practice, this is a matter of integration and asking questions during the process. The work should be coordinated with existing sustainability efforts and gender mainstreaming.
Summary: how just resilience was implemented in the toolkit
Step 0 – Motivate
This step addresses the question of why climate adaptation work is important and lays a foundation of knowledge on the impacts of climate change.
The step now includes an introductory text on just climate adaptation. The importance of an open decision-making process and synergies through coordination with other initiatives has been highlighted. Understanding the effects of climate change on vulnerable groups is essential. To facilitate communication about justice, three slides have now been added to the base presentation.
Step 1 – Establish
In this step, a working group is to be formed, and visions and goals for the work are to be developed.
To make it easier to find synergies, the municipality's gender equality coordinator has been included in the list of potential members for the working group. The focus of justice integration has been on ensuring that the process promotes broad participation and includes diverse perspectives.
Step 2 – Analyse
A picture of the municipality’s climate challenges and vulnerabilities in various societal functions is developed in this step.
The step involves identifying impacts on vulnerable groups and areas. Several dimensions of justice have been integrated, such as the importance of including various forms of knowledge, perspectives, and needs - both within and beyond one’s own organization.
Step 3 – Identify
Measures to address events, consequences, and vulnerabilities that may arise due to a changing climate are identified in this step.
When selecting measures, the perspective of who benefits or is disadvantaged has been highlighted as a key parameter. Several dimensions of justice have been integrated into this step, such as the importance of broad participation and meaningful dialogue with the Sámi people. Having a gender and justice perspective can therefore enhance the effectiveness of the work.
Step 4 – Prioritise
The purpose of this step is to establish a systematic way to select and prioritise between different measures.
Including just climate adaptation can reduce the risk of negative side effects from the measures. This step now also includes information about the importance of incorporating many different viewpoints. A measure that addresses a climate impact but is perceived as unfair may be difficult to gain acceptance for among the municipality's residents.
Step 5 – Implement
The purpose of this step is to provide an overview of the work and clarify what needs to be done to implement the selected climate adaptation measures for the municipality.
Benefits of finding synergies with other initiatives such as sustainability and gender equality are highlighted. It is important to consider that communication about the work should be adapted for different target audiences. For example, a report can be complemented with a website or information in other languages.
Step 6 – Follow up
The purpose of this step is to provide guidance for the regular follow-up and evaluation needed in climate adaptation efforts.
The follow-up should include questions that address just climate adaptation. One example is to consider, when evaluating extreme weather events, whether any group was disproportionately affected. In this step as well, the importance of communication to reach different target audiences has been emphasized.