Tracking community climate resilience in the ACT

The ‘Living Well with a Changing Climate’ survey helps us understand how prepared and resilient the Canberra community is to deal with the impacts of climate change. The survey is conducted every 5 years, starting in 2018 and repeated in 2023.

By tracking resilience over time, the ACT Government can better meet the community’s needs as we face climate challenges. It also ensures that government support is focused on those in our community who need it most.

What is climate change resilience?

Resilience is the ability of a person, family, or community to handle tough times or changing situations and take advantage of new opportunities. To be resilient to climate change, the ACT community needs to be able to:

  • cope with the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events
  • recover after an extreme weather event or other emergency
  • make changes to lessen the impact of extreme weather events in the future.

This depends on having access to resources that build resilience. These resources help you cope with events like heatwaves, storms, fires, and droughts. They can also help you make changes around your home or in your life to reduce future impacts.

Resilience can grow or shrink over time as these resources change. Resources can include things like:

  • support from friends and family
  • having savings you can access in emergencies
  • having an energy efficient home that is affordable to keep cool during hot weather
  • having a household emergency plan.

An energy efficient home can help Canberrans become more resilient to a changing climate. The ACT Government offers a range of programs and supports to help Canberrans spend less on energy and keep their homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Find out more by contacting our Sustainable Home Advice service.

Visit the Emergency Services Agency and learn how to prepare for emergency events, such as storms, bushfires and floods.

Survey results

Why it’s important

As the ACT’s climate changes, we will experience higher average temperatures, less consistent rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events such as bushfires, heatwaves and storms.

The ACT Government is committed to using this community adaptation and resilience data to guide the development of future evidence-based policies and programs that enhance community resilience to climate change.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.