The impacts of climate change will be felt most by those individuals that are already subject to social or economic marginalisation. In addition, disadvantaged groups are generally less able to manage risks of all types because they lack financial, social, educational or other resources. While the wealthier parts of the population will be inconvenienced, the poor will suffer more serious consequences from climate change, including health impacts and premature death. Rural areas of Victoria, Australia, have already been experiencing the impacts of climate change, and significant gaps exist in the management of these impacts with regard to the compounding effects of climate change and other types of vulnerability.

A pilot project called Resilient People; Resilient Futures, funded by the 
Victorian Government, is exploring mechanisms to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations under a changing climate in the Southern Grampians area. The project is implemented by the local government, in partnership with the local primary care partnership and academic researchers, using a social learning approach. A focus of the project is to gain a better understanding of how vulnerability is defined and explained in the local context of rural populations, how vulnerability is expected to change under climate change and how local service providers can prepare for and respond changing vulnerabilities. This paper discusses lessons learnt to date from the perspective of the engaged practitioners and discusses a co-production model of adaptation for vulnerable rural communities.