Under the Weather
Developed by: the Environment Agency

Published in January 2014, this toolkit is structured around three sequential stages all of which work towards integrating climate adaptation into the activities of organisations involved in health and social care:

• Getting ready: Understanding why adaptation is important
• Enabling action: Showing what individuals can do within their current roles
• Becoming climate ready: using existing tools and resources to support action

The toolkit explicitly considers health inequalities and what can be done to reduce them, bringing in evidence which explains the extent of health inequalities in modern Britain and why they are unacceptable. The toolkit raises awareness of some of the opportunities for redressing health inequalities – such as through building adaptations, creating better local environments and social measures – many of which are also important ways to reduce social vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events. The document creates a link between action associated with climate adaptation and action associated with reducing health inequalities, both of which have significant implications for the health and wellbeing of local communities.

The materials are intended to support the work of Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) as they integrate climate change adaptation measures into the working practices and supporting systems of local health services. They also provide check-lists and other resources to help make effective use of Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNA) and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies (JHWS).

Assess the toolkit here.