The role of public sector asset managers in responding to climate change Disaster and business continuity planning

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the current climate change predictions and the likely consequences for building assets, and therefore the delivery of public services, in the face of extreme weather events. Public sector asset managers need to mitigate and prepare for future events. However, current practice, as illustrated by the literature, shows that little risk assessment is currently undertaken. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is based on a literature review of current climate data and best practice asset management. An extensive survey of public sector asset managers working at senior levels in their organisation was designed and distributed to gather data on the current levels of disaster and business continuity planning. The survey design sought to establish the level of risk assessment across the organisations and the integration of property management into the disaster planning process. Findings - This paper describes the current climate change predictions and the likely consequences for building assets in the face of extreme weather events. It reveals that a significant number of public sector authorities are not preparing integrated disaster management plans nor business continuity plans. There is a need for further research into the impact on assets and the role of the public sector real estate manager in assessing the risks and developing strategies to prepare the organisation and to mitigate the effects of natural disasters and severe weather events. Originality/value - This research highlights the potential for climate change to threaten property assets and particularly to compromise the delivery of public services in the event of extreme weather events. The paper highlights the need for integrated risk assessment and disaster planning, which incorporates enabling property assets. Public sector asset managers have a vital role to play in undertaking risk assessment and preparing disaster plans. This role is becoming increasingly important as climate change is predicted to have a significant effect on the frequency of extreme weather events and the occurrence of natural disasters.