Climate Change Risk Management and Adaptation

The Frew Group specializes in helping you better understand, mitigate, and respond to the risks and vulnerabilities of your community’s diverse, high-risk populations from extreme weather and climate-related impacts.

Ensure your plans, operations, and communications equitably and inclusively serve every person. Prioritize climate and environmental justice while building risk resilience capabilities of the whole community in all aspects of climate change risk management and climate adaptation.

Inclusive disaster response and recovery

Prioritize equity and inclusion in emergency response.

Certain groups are more vulnerable to the effects of all disasters, including low-income communities, people with disabilities, and minority populations. Disaster planning, preparedness, response, and recovery operations must respect and incorporate a community’s culturally diverse elements.

Our team is deeply experienced in operationalizing planning and operational approaches that prioritize equity and inclusion.

We help communities understand and successfully address the unique needs of their vulnerable populations before and during both slow-onset climate-influenced hazards, such as drought and heat events, and rapid onset threats, such as wildfires and floods.

We help identify and address critical gaps in strategies, resources, and services to ensure their disaster plans and response operations are culturally competent, inclusive, and equitable – that no one is left behind.

Climate change, social inequities and the built environment

The built environment plays a significant role in shaping the impact of climate change and how we plan for emergencies and disasters.

Economic and social inequalities, environmental degradation, and deteriorating public infrastructure can make some communities more vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change than others. The built environment and longstanding social issues play significant roles in shaping the impacts of climate change on its most vulnerable residents, small businesses, and visitors.

That’s why our expertise in seeing blind spots in planning is vital. We help communities consider possible ways to address current and anticipated future threats resulting from our changing climate.

We apply a lens of equity and cultural competency to help you define social, economic, and environmental capacities and integrate appropriate forms of resilience building in your climate mitigation and climate adaptation planning.

We collaborate with you and your key stakeholders to promote environmental and climate justice for your whole community in disaster risk reduction and community resilience before, during, and after disaster events.

Suzanne co-authored Planning for the Unexpected: Land-Use Development and Risk, PAS Report 531.

Climate Change and at-risk populations

We prioritize the use of social vulnerability risk assessment tools to understand the unique risks faced by each community’s population. We employ national and state equity guidance and resilience toolkits to assist our clients to ensure that their most vulnerable populations are engaged and their needs competently addressed in all aspects of disaster planning, response, and recovery.

Vulnerable populations are often the hardest hit when disaster hits.

Diverse at-risk populations have increased risk vulnerabilities and lower adaptive capacities to the effects of climate change. These disparities are influenced by long-standing social and economic inequalities influenced by such factors as age, ethnicity, religion, gender, income, health, legal status, housing and food disparities, and disabilities, access and functional needs.

Services for climate change risk management and adaptation

Our consulting firm has extensive expertise working with climate-impacted urban, rural, coastal and island communities facing extreme weather and climate-related hazards such as wildfires, floods, and droughts that deeply impact the environment, infrastructure, public health, and social systems. Our services include:

Disaster Response Plans: We write and/or audit Emergency Operation Plan climate change annexes.
Public and Stakeholder Engagement: We are experts at building awareness and gathering feedback from/about culturally diverse populations through interactive workshops, community meetings and multi-pronged communications outreach.
Emergency Preparedness: Our consulting services support preparedness initiatives, including developing, conducting, and evaluating equity and inclusion elements in training and exercises.
Cultural Competence: Our team uniquely understands and can address the sensitive intersection of disproportionately impacted, marginalized populations and climate impacts in emergency management.
Crisis communications: We are experts in strategy and implementation of critical preparedness, alerts and warnings communications designed for multi-cultural, hard-to-reach populations, including non-native speakers. Our belief in Transcreation Communication ensures that all people can understand and respond appropriately.

Why work with The Frew Group?

✓ We have extensive experience working with growing impact of climate change on urban, rural, island, and coastal communities, particularly in serving culturally diverse, marginalized, indigenous, and remote populations.

✓ Our inclusive emergency management consulting services for the environmental and sustainability sector prioritize equity and inclusion in all aspects of disaster planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.

✓ Our team has expertise in a wide range of traditional areas for consultants in this field, as well as a commitment to incorporating cultural competency principles into climate change and the built environment.

✓ We believe in working closely with communities, businesses, and organizations to develop customized strategies that prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

Climate change risk management and adaptation FAQ

Q. What are the unique challenges of managing climate change risks for vulnerable populations?

Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change due to a number of factors, including:

- They often live in areas that are more exposed to hazards, such as coastal communities and low-lying areas.
- They have fewer resources to cope with the impacts of disasters.
- They may have less access to information and early warning systems.
- They may have limited access to social safety nets and other support services.

Q. How can emergency managers integrate climate change considerations into their planning and response efforts?

Emergency managers can integrate climate change considerations into their planning and response efforts by:

- Conducting risk assessments that take into account the projected impacts of climate change.
- Developing early warning systems and evacuation plans that are tailored to the needs of vulnerable populations.
- Building relationships with local communities and organizations to ensure that response efforts are coordinated and effective.
- Investing in long-term resilience measures, such as elevating homes and building seawalls.

Q. What are some examples of climate change adaptation measures that can be implemented to protect vulnerable populations?

Examples of climate change adaptation measures that can be implemented to protect vulnerable populations include:

- Building seawalls and other coastal defenses to protect against sea level rise
- Designing infrastructure to withstand more extreme weather events
- Developing drought-resistant crops
- Providing financial assistance to help people move to safer areas
- Investing in education and awareness-raising campaigns to help people understand and prepare for climate change impacts

Q. How can your consulting firm help local and federal governments, island and coastal communities, school systems, FEMA, and other organizations manage climate change risks and adapt to climate change impacts for at-risk populations?

Our consulting firm can help local and federal government, small island communities, school systems, FEMA, and other organizations to:

- Conduct climate change risk assessments
- Develop climate change adaptation plans
- Integrate climate change considerations into their overall planning and response efforts
- Access funding and other resources to support their climate change adaptation efforts
- Engage with local communities and organizations to ensure that response efforts are coordinated and effective

Q. What are some of the most common questions you receive about climate change risk management and adaptation in emergency management and disaster planning?

Here are some of the most common questions we receive about climate change risk management and adaptation:

- How can I identify the most vulnerable populations in my community?
- What are the most effective adaptation measures for protecting vulnerable populations?
- How can I integrate climate change considerations into my existing plans?
- Where can I find funding and other resources to support climate change adaptation efforts for vulnerable populations?
- How can I engage with local communities and organizations to ensure that response efforts are coordinated and effective?

We are happy to answer any questions you have about climate change risk management and adaptation. Please contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.