‘Learning for resilience’ as the climate changes: discussing flooding, adaptation and agency with children

Abstract

Climate change scenarios project higher flood risk, so knowing how households can increase socio-ecological resilience is essential. Children rarely feature in UK policy guidance about how households prepare for floods, and research is limited about children’s roles in local resilience building. Using a participatory action research, child-centred methodology we explored (7-9year old) children’s knowledge, skills and dispositions in discussions about flooding, suggesting processes for effectively engaging them in Learning for Resilience (LfR). Results suggest children have existing knowledge, skills and dispositions concerning local and international flood risk originating from various sources. They displayed cross-cultural learning, embryonic systems-thinking, and understandings of theirs and others’ agency, including adults’ reasons for un-preparedness, revealing awareness of risk underestimation and deferral/denial of risk. The paper offers framing of a new taxonomy for young children’s significant ‘LfR’ and seven ‘top tips’ to facilitate, design and implement learning strategies with children around environmental risk, in the UK and internationally, in climate change contexts.