Case Study 4 Heat-waves in London

The 2003 heatwave is the focus of the case study and how disaster risk management in London changed. Based on previous research the focus is expected to be on the development of the London Heatwave Plan as well as its annual rounds of review and application through local government and key agencies in health and social sectors. This provides a unique opportunity to analyse the pathways and constraints for social learning as an aspect of resilience in London (task 4.4). Research will rely on semi-structured interviews with key informants to explore how the heatwave management system for London has evolved since 2003. London scale analysis will be undertaken alongside a more local study that will drill down to look at behaviour at the scale of two local authorities (likely Waltham Forest and Hackney which have diverse populations and experienced changes to their administrative structures and heatwave planning), and to a sample of elderly care providers
 to include private, charity and public sector provision. If possible we also aim to focus on the individual level and to interview those elderly that reside at home and receive care from family. This work will draw on the socio-psychological aspects of resilience (4.2). Focus of work is on the extent to which those at risk and risk managers are able to access information and resources to change behaviour in ways that reduces exposure and susceptibility to heatwave risk, and barriers to this. Furthermore, it is expected that some aspects of the data produced may feed into an agent based modelling exercise (task 4.5) to examine the relative influence of a range of push factors and human/natural contexts on risk management behaviour, with a view to exploring its modification.

The main case-study report was submitted to the EU on 31st Dec 2014: it is currently embargoed pending associated publications. Please contact Prof Sue Grimmond at Reading University for details