Embedded Files
Age-Friendly/Lifelong Communities
TOPSHAM ENERGY COMMITTEE
TOPSHAM ENERGY COMMITTEE
You might wonder what a Climate Action Plan (CAP) could have to do with A-F/LL communities concerns or activities. It is a question I would have, if not for my experience on Topsham’s Energy Committee. Tasked with updating the town’s CAP, committee members worked with consultants to do an assessment of the town’s infrastructure vulnerability and the social vulnerabilities faced by town residents.
You might wonder what a Climate Action Plan (CAP) could have to do with A-F/LL communities concerns or activities. It is a question I would have, if not for my experience on Topsham’s Energy Committee. Tasked with updating the town’s CAP, committee members worked with consultants to do an assessment of the town’s infrastructure vulnerability and the social vulnerabilities faced by town residents.
It is in this latter assessment that the CAP intersects with the principles followed by A-F/LL communities
The purpose of a Social Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) for climate change is to identify populations who are at greater risk for immediate or long-term harm from loss of electricity, flooding, extreme heat, or other environmental factors. Older residents are among the most vulnerable, along with people with disabilities, and low-income families. Often, these residents belong in more than one category.
Once vulnerable residents are identified, the SVA can be used to highlight resources needed. These needs can then be included in any planning to make the community more resilient. Looking out for the most vulnerable of our neighbors makes us all stronger.
In Topsham, seniors (65+) are the largest vulnerable group, comprising 20% of the population (about 2200 people). About 1450 within that group live alone. Some have disabilities, are living below the poverty line, living in mobile homes, and/or are without cars.
Each additional factor increases a person’s vulnerability, making it more likely that they will be unable to access help in a climate emergency. The statistics for other towns in Maine may vary somewhat from Topsham’s, but we know that Maine ranks as one of the oldest states in the US, so concern for how our elderly population deals with climate emergencies needs to be a high priority.
Residents of towns in that have a A-F/LL Community Committee program would do well to learn if they have climate action plans or if climate impacts are included in any long-term town planning. Whether or not such plans exist, the following questions are useful in determining how seniors will fare:
Has an SVA been done?
If not, can the A-F/LL committee encourage the town to do one?
If one has been done, how is it being used to decrease the risks to seniors and other vulnerable populations?
Researchers in Maine have created a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) tailored specifically to our state’s socio-economic and demographic profile. You can check your town’s overall rating here as a starting point for your own research.
To see the factors included in the index in chart form, download the Topsham CAP and see page 25.
Jackie Cressy meeting with emergency services
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