Community Resilience in the highlands
Garve and District Community Council
Added at 08:43 on 27 March 2026
The Highland Council’s report on Climate Change, Energy and Community Resilience, published yesterday 26th March 2026, makes it clear that the challenges facing Highland communities are no longer distant or theoretical. They are happening now and they are expected to intensify over the coming years.
Storm damage, flooding, power outages and rising costs are already affecting communities across the region. These are not isolated issues. They are part of a wider pattern of change that will increasingly impact how we live, how we access services, and how resilient our communities are in times of disruption.
A Growing and Complex Risk
The report highlights a wide range of risks that directly affect community life. These include flooding, coastal erosion, severe weather events, and damage to infrastructure such as roads, power supplies and communications networks. There are also growing pressures on household finances, public services, and mental wellbeing.
Importantly, these risks do not occur in isolation. The Highlands rely on interconnected systems energy, transport, digital connectivity and water supply. When one fails, others can quickly follow. A power cut can mean loss of heating and communications. A blocked road can cut off access to healthcare or supplies. What starts as a single issue can rapidly become a wider community disruption.
Why Highland Communities Are More Vulnerable
The report recognises that rural and remote communities like ours face particular challenges. We rely on fewer transport routes, have less redundancy in infrastructure, and often experience longer recovery times when things go wrong.
This means that disruption here can be more severe and longer-lasting than in urban areas. It also means that communities must be more self-reliant during periods of disruption.
Energy and Fuel Poverty is a Key Concern
One of the most striking findings is the scale of fuel poverty across the Highlands. Nearly half of all households are affected, with a significant number in extreme fuel poverty. At the same time, communities continue to face high energy costs and, in some cases, unreliable supply during severe weather.
This creates a serious resilience issue. Households that struggle to heat their homes are less able to cope during emergencies. Power outages and energy disruptions therefore have a much greater impact on wellbeing and safety.
Fragile Infrastructure and Increasing Disruption
The report also highlights the vulnerability of key infrastructure. Thousands of kilometres of roads are exposed to flooding and erosion. Rail routes, coastal roads and bridges are at increasing risk. Water supplies, particularly private ones, are vulnerable to drought, flooding and contamination.
Recent storms have already shown how quickly disruption can spread—affecting power, communications, transport and access to services all at once.
The Role of the Natural Environment
Natural systems such as peatlands, woodlands and wetlands play a vital role in protecting communities. They help manage water, reduce flood risk and buffer the impacts of storms. However, these natural defences are themselves under pressure from climate change.
Protecting and restoring the natural environment is therefore not just an environmental issue it is a key part of strengthening community resilience.
The Need for a Coordinated Approach
A key message from the report is that fragmented or uncoordinated action will not be enough. Housing, energy, infrastructure and environmental management must be considered together.
For communities, this reinforces the importance of being organised, informed and prepared. Resilience is not something that can be delivered solely by the Council or other agencies. It must also be built at a local level.
Community Resilience is Everyone’s Responsibility
The UK Government is clear that community resilience is everyone’s responsibility. This means that while national and local authorities have a role to play, communities themselves must also take an active role in preparing for and responding to disruption.
This includes thinking about how we support vulnerable residents, how we maintain communication during outages, and how we organise locally when services are under pressure.
Looking Ahead
The report makes it clear that change is coming whether through climate impacts or the transition to new energy systems. The key question is whether communities are prepared.
By becoming better organised, more aware of the risks, and more connected as a community, we can begin to strengthen our resilience. This is not about alarm, but about readiness—ensuring that when disruption does occur, our community is better equipped to respond, recover and support one another.
The Report - Climate Change, Energy and Community Resilience
Listen to the meeting discussion which took place on respect of the report
We are always really keen to hear your thoughts and concerns, you can reach us by email contact@gdcc.scot or phone 01997 414791 leave a message and we will call you back.