Community resilience to climate change in small towns. Evidence from the Seine Valley in France

• Main Authors: Ben Othmen, Asma, Trotta-Brambilla, Gabriella
• Other Authors: Innovation, Territoire, Agriculture et Agro-industrie, Connaissance et Technologie (INTERACT), UniLaSalle, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aménités et dynamiques des espaces ruraux (UR ADBX), Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA), Architecture, Environnement & Cultures Constructives (AE&CC), École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Grenoble (ENSAG)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), Convention de partenariat de recherche et d'enseignement, Atelier Hors Les Murs, Reykjavík University, Iceland
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: Climate change; Capacity building; Greening; nature based solutions; [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences; Iceland; Reykjavík
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04208869; https://hal.science/hal-04208869/document

International audience Over the past decade, there has been a noticeable surge in research dedicated to understanding how communities can effectively withstand and respond to the challenges posed by climate change (Twigger-Ross et al., 2015). Community resilience, in this context, refers to the capacity of a geographically defined community to minimize its exposure to, manage, and adapt to both the direct and indirect consequences of climate change (Carmen et al., 2022). While the concept of community resilience has received substantial attention in urban settings (Leichenko, 2011; Jabareen, 2013), there remains a notable gap in research when it comes to small towns and their socio-ecological systems (Salas Tobón and Barton, 2019).Climate change, a global phenomenon, manifests its most pronounced and immediate effects at the local level, including phenomena such as flooding and heatwaves, as well as indirect consequences like soaring food prices and soil degradation. Building upon the existing body of literature on community resilience, which highlights the significance of various socio-economic and political factors in understanding resilience, this paper undertakes an analysis of how natural, urban, cultural, and socio-economic elements at the community level impact the ability of small towns to adapt to climate change. Additionally, it seeks to contribute to decision-making processes aimed at enhancing resilience.Our study focuses on two small towns, Rives-en-Seine and Duclair, in the Seine Valley of Normandy, France. These towns are emblematic of the Seine River's landscape and are part of a larger national and regional park. They boast a diverse environment encompassing rich biodiversity, forests, wetlands, and fertile agricultural lands. However, these picturesque landscapes are vulnerable to risks such as flooding, erosive runoff, and land degradation. These risks stem from a combination of human activities, including urbanization-induced soil sealing, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and natural ...