Estado del Arte

Ensuring the safety of community members, particularly vulnerable people, during and after storm events is a primary priority for the Unst community. The issue was mentioned on numerous occasions and highlighted as a significant concern across the Unst focus groups. Respondents explained that the community has frequently been affected by power cuts as a consequence of storms and severe winds. Participants identified power cuts as a key safety concern for the whole community, but particularly for members of the population who might be considered vulnerable including the elderly and single-occupant or remote

Safety and

Wellbeing

Vulnerable

People

Elderly

Children

Remote

Dwellings

Injury

Actual

Anticipated

Mortality

Actual

Anticipated

Health

Emotional

Wellbeing

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households located away from the centres of population. They indicated that vulnerable people, namely the elderly, have suffered most during past power cuts with the loss of electricity increasing the risk of injury due to a lack of heating, lighting and cooking sources. Respondents stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of all community members before, during, and directly after storm events, but particularly the elderly and those residing in more remote areas and especially when power cuts have been experienced.

A priority would be the vulnerable people. You would want to make sure that somebody would be thinking to check the old folk. Because obviously they’re

more vulnerable than most of the families would be in their houses. You would

be thinking “who’s thefolk that’s most at risk here?”

Unst Participant Gardiesfauld and Uyeasound Focus Group Moreover, respondents indicated that the ability of emergency services to reach the island is significantly reduced during storms and severe winds. For example, severe gales might make it impossible for ambulance crews to attend a serious medical emergency on Unst via either helicopter or boat. Participants were worried about the potential for considerable negative impacts on safety and wellbeing in the event of an emergency during storms.

Respondents emphasised that the existence of high social capital in Unst, mainly in the form of strong networks and community bonds, has been beneficial to ensuring the safety and protection of vulnerable community members during storm events. There is a noticeable willingness to support and assist one another by any means possible. Several participants indicated that they, as an island community, feel relatively prepared for the risks presented by storms and feel fortunate to have some emergency aids based on the island such as community medical and fire teams. They explained that living within a remote island setting has meant that they cannot afford to ignore the potential risks posed by storms, and instead they have attempted to cope with the consequences head-on as a community. However, they acknowledged that the community could only go so far in safeguarding the wellbeing of those living in Unst – vulnerable or otherwise. The danger posed by venturing outdoors during storms means that community-led emergency response could be limited during severe storm events. According to respondents, the local council have attempted to operate emergency plans in response to severe storms. While respondents recognised the efforts of the local council, they felt that emergency planning could be more strategic and better organised in a coordinated approach by SIC in future. It is clear that the protection of community members - specifically vulnerable individuals - is high on the list of priorities for the Unst community. Increased coordination and support from the local council could lead to adaptation that focuses on community safety during storm events.

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Similarly, community wellbeing was prioritised highly in South Uist, particularly in relation to storm and storm surge events. Respondents explained that the vulnerability of the South Uist community was highlighted and fully comprehended by community members following the major consequences of the 2005 storm. The deaths of five community members at the South Ford area profoundly impacted not only the families involved but also the community as a whole. Participants indicated that the issue remains raw within the community and the potential for harm, such as injury and mortality during storm events, has been fully realised as a result of the incident.

It had a huge impact on the whole community. And it really did focus on how vulnerable we are as an island group. Nobody actually realised it could

happen to that extent. We’ve got a realisation about it now that we didn’t

have before.

South Uist Participant Storas Uibhist Focus Group The community had previously been unaware of the full scope for potential vulnerability up until that point. Consequently, community concern over safety during storms has undoubtedly increased since 2005.

One of the key aspects of safety mentioned by South Uist respondents was the issue of the South Ford causeway. Respondents reported that a great deal of contention persists around the existence of the causeway following the 2005 storm. There has been continued disagreement and debate across scales over the most suitable course of action to be taken for the causeway which, coupled with financial constraints, has led to frustration within the community. Participants felt dissatisfied that essentially no plans relating directly to the causeway have come to fruition despite various investigations and reports having been undertaken by the local council and external agencies over a lengthy period of time since the incident. Respondents felt strongly about the need for adaptive action in the South Ford area, particularly pertaining to the causeway, to safeguard the community in the north end of South Uist against the risks posed by future storms and storm surge. Although debate exists surrounding the best course of action to be taken in the South Ford area, it is clear that safety in this location is a universal concern across the community.

Furthermore, South Uist respondents felt that the community has not been made sufficiently aware of any emergency planning currently in existence despite the presence of a local flood action group. Participants explained that any response to storms and flooding is currently led on a community or individual basis with the local council usually recommending remaining indoors during adverse weather. They highlighted their belief that there needs to be an explicit and detailed flood action plan disseminated across the South Uist community from the local council. They acknowledged that plans might already be in place, but stressed the point that any such plans have not been adequately communicated to community members. They highlighted the need for a clear flood action plan which could be

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circulated to and followed by the community in the event of future storms and storm surge. This issue, along with the challenges surrounding the South Ford causeway, suggests that the matter of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the South Uist community has not yet been sufficiently addressed in the eyes of the respondents. The direct consequences of climate change hazards on human life has resulted in priorities for adaptation surrounding safety and wellbeing that are emotionally-driven across the South Uist community and especially in Iochdar close to the South Ford area.

In contrast to both Unst and South Uist, safety and wellbeing was not a significant adaptation priority for the Westray community although the issue was mentioned occasionally during focus groups. Some participants expressed concern regarding the long-term wellbeing of community members living in low-lying coastal areas of the island. They felt that those living in dwellings situated at the coast could be at risk of flooding in the near future and particularly over long timescales as sea level continues to rise. However, they suggested that coastal flooding was unlikely to directly affect the safety of Westray community members. It was implied, though, that the flooding of homes and businesses could have a knock-on effect for the wellbeing of individuals on the island. For example, the potential for emotional stress brought on by factors such as temporary displacement, personal upheaval and financial strain could have a negative impact on wellbeing.

Participants implied that any hazards associated with sea level rise, such as increased coastal flooding and erosion, have not yet had a significant tangible impact on the safety and wellbeing of the Westray community. Flooding and erosion have affected a minor proportion of the population but the community as a whole has not experienced noticeable impacts of climate change. Therefore, in the eyes of the community, coastal flooding and erosion have had very little impact on wellbeing and there has been virtually no impact on community safety. Some respondents suggested that sea level rise could have an impact on safety and wellbeing in future in the long-term, especially if rising sea levels were coupled with high tides and a depression which could increase the potential for storm surge. However, they reported that safety and wellbeing is not currently viewed within the community as a key priority for adaptation.

5.3.2. Interpretation

The safety and wellbeing of community members during hazardous events associated with climate change was not equally prioritised across the case studies. On one hand, safety and wellbeing is a high priority for adaptation in the communities of Unst and South Uist. The topic was often at the centre of discussions driven by respondents during focus groups in both communities. There was a focus on minimising the risk of injury and mortality during severe storms in both case studies. The safety of vulnerable community members was highlighted as a key concern in Unst whereas South Uist respondents did not prioritise any one particular section of the community. Instead, their concern lies in the safety of the whole island community with the belief that anyone could

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potentially become at risk of harm during storms and storm surge regardless of demographic characteristics. Both case studies are also similar in their desire for increased strategic emergency planning by local authorities, and for the appropriate circulation of this information.

On the other hand, the way in which the Westray community prioritised safety and wellbeing was fundamentally different to that of the Unst and South Uist communities. Respondents rarely mentioned the subject during discussions. They acknowledged the potential for future risks to safety and wellbeing associated with coastal flooding and erosion as a result of sea level rise. However, past and present experiences of coastal flooding and erosion have had very little impact on the safety and wellbeing of the community. They suggested that safety and wellbeing could become more of a priority in future if the impacts of sea level rise were to worsen, but currently the community considers safety and wellbeing to be a low priority for adaptation to the impacts of sea level rise.

The prioritisation of safety and wellbeing has been motivated by past experiences of risk and harm evidenced in participant responses. In South Uist, the consequences of the 2005 storm have triggered a high level of concern for community safety, in turn motivating the community to consider safety and wellbeing as a paramount priority for adaptation. The Unst community have not suffered many major instances of harm but they are acutely aware of the level of risk attached to severe storm events. The community feel that the geographical location of Unst as a remote island community further contributes to this level of risk. In Westray, however, impacts of climate change have not threatened the safety and wellbeing of community members to a significant extent. The impacts of sea level rise are not yet tangible and respondents felt that climate change does not currently pose a risk to the safety of the community. It is evident that experiences of risk and harm have influenced the way in which safety and wellbeing is prioritised for adaptation in the case studies.

5.3.3. Summary

Evidently, community safety and wellbeing is a significant priority for adaptation in some communities but it is not uniformly ranked to the same extent across the case studies. While safety and wellbeing is a key community priority for future adaptation to the impacts of climate change in Unst and South Uist, it is a low priority for adaptation in Westray. Issues of significance in one island community might be considered unimportant in another, as is apparent in the disparity between Westray compared to Unst and South Uist within the theme of safety and wellbeing. It is worth noting that respondents in Westray speculated that safety and wellbeing might become an important issue for the community in future as the impacts of sea level rise begin to manifest. Direct experience of hazards is likely to sensitise communities to climate change adaptation, thus explaining the different result in Westray in comparison with Unst and South Uist. The Westray community can see how sea level rise might become problematic through a more abstract consideration of the future. If adaptation planning does not take subtle differences such as these into account, it could lead to adaptation

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that is at odds with, and potentially overlooks, the unique needs of Scottish island communities.