Abstract: Submission #159

Abstract This paper provides recommendations for social work professionals in South Africa to manage future disasters and alleviate poverty to enhance well-being. The paper emphasises the importance of building resilience as a strategy for navigating and mitigating the impacts of environmental disasters and climate change. Green social work is a holistic and multifaceted framework to view social work practice that aims to restructure the status quo of social, political, and economic forces that negatively impact the planet and those on the social margins. Resilience theory (RT), in the context of Green Social Work (GSW), emphasizes the capacity of individuals, communities, and systems to cope with and adapt to environmental challenges, particularly those exacerbated by climate change and disasters. The focus is on the social and political factors that exacerbate environmental risks. Thus, building the resilience of marginalized populations to create a more just and equitable future for all is a major component of the (GSW) framework. This could be in a form of various interventions, including providing access to resources, promoting community-based solutions, and advocating for policy changes that address environmental injustices. Resilience theory emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals and communities to take control of their lives and address their own challenges. This review makes recommendations for environmental justice and poverty alleviation through emphasising the importance of empowering individuals and communities to take control of their lives and address their own challenges.