Green Social Work and Community Resilience

Consumerist culture, industrially oriented societies, and urban lifestyles have led to profound changes in the environment, resulting in climate change and natural disasters. The negative aspects of the ecological crisis are closely linked to the social functioning of individuals, causing issues in physical and mental health, housing, material security, nutrition, and more. Environmental sustainability represents not only an ecological but also a social problem, and consequently, a problem for the profession of social work. There is a need to mobilise the community towards building resilience in the face of various difficulties. Green social work, as a distinct field, focuses on recognising the interconnection between ecological and social issues, while striving to overcome disparities, empower individuals and communities, mobilise social capital, and prevent the further progression of environmental pollution consequences. This paper will address the ways in which the ecological crisis affects social communities and their members by examining the role of green social work in this field. Additionally, the importance of the concept of community resilience and how it can be built with the help of social work will be highlighted.