Abstract
Some communities are particularly exposed to climate change impacts such as sea level rise or flooding. Adaptation — physical and societal adjustments — will be needed to respond to actual and anticipated impacts. Academic studies and New Zealand’s national guidance both suggest that outcomes are improved for affected communities, as well as for councils, when they work together closely to understand the implications, co-develop plans and undertake agreed actions for adaptation. This requires effective community engagement, whereby local
authorities develop active and effective relationships with their communities. This summary of best practice and relevant academic research was commissioned to help inform the South Dunedin Future programme, a joint initiative between Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council to develop climate change adaptation options for South Dunedin.
We outline principles and practices for community engagement that are particularly relevant to climate change adaptation. Part 1 summarises scholarly work on community engagement in climate change adaptation. Part 2 identifies key principles for engagement. Part 3 describes a
selection of engagement tools. At the end are references and links to further information.