From the Severn to Bangladesh: communities adapting together in a changing climate

Across the UK, communities are finding practical ways to adapt, support one another and build resilience together. This week, the Climate Change Committee’s “Well Adapted UK” report reminds us of why that matters more than ever. 

The report makes clear that climate impacts are no longer a future problem. The UK is still not adequately prepared for the growing impacts of climate change, with communities already facing increasing risks from flooding, heat, coastal erosion and pressure on essential infrastructure.

But alongside that warning is another story - one playing out in communities across the UK and around the world every day. Communities are stepping up to protect the places and people they care about, often with limited support and resources. As the Climate Change Committee’s report makes clear, though, community action alone cannot carry the weight of the climate crisis. Local action must be matched by long-term leadership, investment and systemic change.

Many of the organisations helping lead that work are members or allies of The Climate Coalition, connecting local experiences in the UK with communities on the frontline of climate impacts around the world - from The Climate Reality Project and Flooded People UK to WaterAid and Sustainable Africa.

Communities already living with climate change

On the Isles of Scilly, campaigners working with The Climate Reality Project are highlighting how island communities are already preparing for a future shaped by rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather.

Much of St Mary’s is low-lying, with key parts of Hugh Town sitting only a few metres above sea level. Rising seas and stronger storms threaten homes, freshwater supplies, transport links and tourism - all essential to island life.

In response, the Council of the Isles of Scilly launched a Climate Adaptation Project focused on strengthening sea defences, protecting dunes and preparing communities for the future. More recently, the islands developed a wider Resilient Islands Strategy, mapping out long-term responses to flooding, erosion and infrastructure risks.

Image: Hugh Town Harbour, St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly

The challenge facing the islands is serious, but so too is the determination of local people to protect the places and communities they love.

Further inland, Flooded People UK has been supporting communities along the River Severn that are facing repeated and increasingly severe flooding.

Residents in towns and villages across Shropshire have spent years organising flood action groups, supporting neighbours, monitoring weather alerts and adapting homes and businesses to cope with repeated storms. But many say the emotional and financial strain is becoming overwhelming.

Flood preparedness has become part of daily life - from moving possessions upstairs to installing flood doors and coordinating volunteer responses when waters rise.

Now, local communities are campaigning together for long-term investment in flood protection and water management across the Severn Valley, arguing that adaptation cannot rest on residents alone.

A shared global story of climate resilience

That spirit of communities coming together to protect the places and people they love is one that reaches far beyond the UK. 

In Bangladesh, WaterAid youth climate leader Samia Anwar Rafa says communities are already living with “severe cyclones, prolonged droughts and increasingly salty drinking water.”

“The communities most vulnerable to climate impacts are often the least heard,” she says. “We don’t want to just see empty promises, we need to see delivery now.”

Image: WaterAid youth climate leaders Samia Anwar Rafa and Barkat Bin Saïda Matazaky at COP30, calling for urgent action on the global water and climate crisis.

In Tanzania, climate advocate Jossie Mirashi, who works with Sustainable Africa and the Eco Pulse Network, describes how communities are experiencing increased flooding, droughts and deadly landslides.

“The climate crisis is a water crisis,” she says. “We need action and accountability for communities on the frontlines of climate change.”

While the impacts may look different from place to place, the themes are strikingly similar: communities protecting one another, adapting to changing conditions, and calling for fairer long-term support and investment.

Community action matters

Adaptation can sometimes sound technical or distant. But in reality, it often starts locally - neighbours supporting one another during floods, communities protecting green spaces, or local groups helping people stay connected and resilient during difficult times.

That same spirit - neighbours supporting one another, communities protecting what they love, people from all walks of life coming together for good -  is what Great Big Green Week is all about.

From 6–14 June, communities across the UK will come together to celebrate practical action for climate and nature - bringing people together through local events, conversations and shared action in the places they call home.

Because whether it’s the Isles of Scilly, the Severn Valley, Bangladesh or Tanzania, climate resilience is ultimately about people, fairness and the strength of communities working together.

Get involved in Great Big Green Week

Great Big Green Week takes place from 6–14 June, with thousands of events bringing communities together for climate and nature.

Find an event near you, organise your own, or join people across the UK taking practical action for a fairer, safer and more resilient future. Find out how to get involved in Great Big Green Week.