Improving Climate Psychological Preparedness for Coastal Communities: The RIPPLE Project's Impact Case Study

The RIPPLE project focused on two contrasting at-risk communities on the North Norfolk Coast: Mundesley and Walcott. Community surveys assessing psychological preparedness for climate change risk were conducted alongside in-depth qualitative interviews.

The project found that almost all households in both communities would benefit from practical information to support climate-related household emergency planning.

Working-age adults and those living within ¼ mile of the coastline were significantly less prepared than other groups and needed additional targeted information and support. In addition, the interviews revealed a dissonance between observed climate-linked changes in the environment, such as flooding and coastal erosion, and personal or household planning and actions in response to climate change.

From this work, recommendations for local authorities and resilience plans to support psychological preparedness in communities to respond to climate change have been developed in readiness to present to Norfolk Resilience Planners.