Download responding to changes in nature

June 2010
CLIMATE ADAPTATION
RESPONDING TO CHANGES IN
NATURE
Julian Wright and Phil Irving
The Environment Agency, UK
Outline
The Environment Agency’s core business involves understanding and addressing
changing pressures as we work to protect the natural environment of England and
Wales and contribute to sustainable development. Scientific evidence clearly
indicates that the climate itself is changing and will continue to do so even if
concerted international action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is successful.
Whilst we have already started to account for such changes, for example in our work
to manage the risks arising from river and coastal flooding and to regulate water
abstraction, we are working hard to ensure that a robust understanding of the
implications of climate change informs all our decisions.
In this paper we reflect briefly on the context for our climate change response within
international and national policy. We summarize the functions of the Environment
Agency, and how by definition this gives us a central role in the United Kingdom’s
climate change response. We focus on three examples of our activity and how we
are integrating adaptation to climate change – flood risk management, water
resources and freshwater ecology – and close with a summary of advice to others
based on what we have learned along the way.
The context
There is international consensus that action needs to be taken to tackle climate
change. Developed and developing countries recently agreed (see Box 1) that all
countries need to take action to limit global temperature increases to no more than
2°C and that we need to establish a comprehensive adaptation programme including
international support. A balance of action that includes both mitigation and adaptation
is a sensible response to climate change risks – gone are the days when to consider
adaptive responses was seen as admitting defeat in tackling emissions (see Martin
Parry’s paper in this series (Parry, 2010) for discussion on this change in view and
the need for both adaptation and mitigation as part of a broader sustainable
development approach).
However, in the United Kingdom climate change is still perceived by many
individuals and organizations as a distant environmental issue that is not directly, or
immediately, relevant to them. This perception is wrong: the recent flooding in northwest England, for example, highlights how closely our lives and livelihoods are linked
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Box 1: COP15 – the United Nations Conference of the Parties
It is unclear whether the negotiations in Copenhagen should be viewed as a success or
failure.
On the one hand it is a success that agreement has finally been reached between the
major emitters including the USA and China, and that this agreement has the backing of
the majority of countries. It is also positive that the Copenhagen Accord will list the
commitments of both developed and developing countries in tackling greenhouse gas
emissions (the latest commitments can be seen at http://unfccc.int/home/items/5264.php).
In addition, funding – US$30 billion over the next three years with a longer term commitment to provide US$100 billion a year by 2020 – will be provided by developed nations
to support a balance of mitigation and adaptation actions in developing countries,
especially those that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
On the other hand there was a failure to reach a legally binding agreement (a successor
to the Kyoto Protocol), and although the Accord contains a recognition of the need to
limit global warming to below 2°C, it does not provide a mechanism through which to
achieve this. Delegates in Copenhagen only ‘took note’ of the Accord rather than adopting
it. It has also been argued that the production of the Copenhagen Accord has provided a
distraction from the goal of many to produce a binding deal through the ongoing United
Nations process.
From the Environment Agency’s perspective, we will continue to act to help make practical
emissions reductions on the ground, whatever emerges from international negotiations,
in line with the UK Climate Change Act 2008. We have a key role to play through our
regulatory responsibilities: by 2012 (once aviation enters the Emissions Trading Scheme)
the Environment Agency will regulate around half of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Flooding in Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK.
November, 2009.
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Box 2: Climate change in the context of other global challenges
Even without the additional pressure of climate change, the ability of the environment
to provide us with the essentials of life is being challenged. We live on a planet with finite
resources, and yet world population has risen from under 3 billion in 1950, to over 6
billion today, and is projected by the United Nations to reach 9 billion by 2050. Professor
John Beddington, the UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor, describes a ‘perfect
storm’ of population-driven challenges hitting us around 2030 as total world energy
demands need to increase by approximately 50 per cent, world food production must
rise by 50 per cent and total world water demands increase by over 30 per cent by that
time. All this happens in the context of having to both limit and adapt to climate change.
The paper by Potts and Marsh (2010) in this series explores the links between climate
change and population growth. The UK is not immune from these pressures. For
example, population is forecast to grow by 5 million people in England and Wales by
2020, and this could increase household demand for water by 6 per cent – over 500
million litres per day (Environment Agency, 2009c).
with the environment in which we live. Even in a wealthy country in modern times,
it is impossible to entirely shield ourselves from climate-related natural disasters such
as flooding or drought. Our relationship with the environment also works the other
way: a good quality environment enhances people’s lives, providing essential goods
and services like clean water, food, recreation and so on. The challenge for the
Environment Agency and our partners is to ensure that these functions of the
environment are protected, and where possible enhanced, despite the risks from
climate change and other pressures (such as population growth and development, see
Box 2).
Reducing emissions and coping with change
Our starting point in thinking about climate change is the scientific knowledge base
(although this becomes even more compelling when translated into economic terms,
see Box 3). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reviews and
assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information
produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change, and arguably
does represent the consensus view of climate scientists. Kennel and Daultrey’s paper
in this series (Kennel and Daultrey, 2010) provides a description of the provenance
and importance of the IPCC. The most recent report (IPCC, 2007) states that:
•
warming of the climate system is unequivocal;
•
global greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities have grown since preindustrial times, with an increase of 70 per cent between 1970 and 2004;
•
most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th
century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse
gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
Put simply, we are clear that climate change is happening and that it is very likely
(greater than 90 per cent certainty of being correct) to be due to emissions of
greenhouse gases from human activities.
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In order to minimize both the amount of climate change that takes place and its
undesirable consequences, it is essential that we respond with a twin-track approach
covering both adaptation and mitigation (Box 4 outlines one of the reasons why both
adaptation and mitigation are needed). Responding to change to minimize adverse
impacts (e.g. the consequences of flooding) and take advantage of beneficial effects
(e.g. extended crop-growing seasons) is termed adaptation and is the subject of this
paper. It is clear that adaptation must be given equal attention to mitigation: standing
alone neither approach can effectively manage climate change risks.
Adaptation policy developments
Adaptation policy is relatively new in Europe, but a White Paper has recently been
published by the European Commission (2009) which begins to set out a framework
for addressing climate change impacts. The Commission recognizes that particular
sectors in Europe, including health, water, biodiversity and physical infrastructure
such as buildings, have the potential to be strongly affected by climate change and
steps should be taken to build resilience. It also recognizes that vulnerability will be
highest in southern Europe, the Mediterranean basin, the outermost regions and the
Arctic. How well individual Member States develop their responses within this
framework will be key, as will the role of the Commission to ‘climate-proof’ European
policy (especially so in already contentious areas such as the Common Agricultural
Policy). As much of our environmental legislation now stems from Europe, the
Environment Agency has been working with the European Commission and other
environmental protection agencies to support the development of adaptation policy
in areas where we have expertise such as water management.
The United Kingdom is a world leader in terms of climate change policy, and the
Climate Change Act 2008 – as well as committing the UK to at least an 80 per cent
cut in emissions by 2050 – includes clear provisions for adaptation. The Act creates
a framework for adaptation in the UK by establishing that:
•
a UK-wide climate change risk assessment must take place every five years;
•
a national adaptation programme must be put in place and reviewed every
five years to address the most pressing climate change risks to England;
•
the Government has the power to require public authorities (including bodies
such as the Environment Agency) and statutory undertakers (companies like
Box 3: The economic case for action
Another way to assess how to respond to climate change is to consider the economics
of the problem. The Stern Review (Stern, 2007 ) is the seminal work in this area and
compares the economic costs of the impacts of climate change with the costs and
benefits of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The review concludes that the
benefits of strong and early action outweigh the costs. In other words it makes
economic sense to provide a strong response to climate change. Our own analysis of
expenditure on new and improved flood risk management assets reveals that, on
average, every £1 currently invested reduces the long-term cost of flooding and coastal
erosion damages by around £8.
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•
•
•
water and energy utilities) to report on how they have assessed the risks of
climate change to their work, and what they are doing to address these risks;
the Government is required to publish a strategy outlining how this new power
will be used, and identifying the priority organizations that will be covered by it;
the Government will provide statutory guidance on how to undertake a climate
risk assessment and draw up an adaptation action plan; and
an Adaptation Sub-Committee of the independent Committee on Climate
Change is set up in order to oversee progress on the Adapting to Climate Change
Programme and advise on the risk assessment.
In July 2008 the Government published Adapting to Climate Change in England: a
Framework for Action (Defra, 2008), which summarized the Government’s Adapting
to Climate Change Programme. The Programme is a cross-Government programme
and a key part of its ambition is to be a global leader in addressing the challenges of
climate change. Two key outputs will emerge from the Programme in 2010: 1. the first
directions have been issued to reporting authorities under the Reporting Power (the
Environment Agency will be one of the first to report) and 2. Government departments
will publish their Departmental Adaptation Plans. Further detail about how each
Government department is adapting to climate change in its own operations and policies
is available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/programme/index.htm
The Environment Agency and adaptation
The Environment Agency has a key role to play in both the development and
implementation of the UK adaptation programme. We are working to ensure that
necessary actions are taken to prepare the country for climate change, in the context
of uncertainty regarding the scale of change we should expect. This includes ensuring
appropriate allocation of resources for adaptation and the promotion of flexible
solutions. We expand on this below.
Introduction to the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency was established in 1996 to bring together previously
disparate responsibilities for protecting the environment and to contribute to
Box 4: Greenhouse gas emissions and temperature rise
Global mean temperatures
6
Temperature rise ºC
5
4
3
IPPC Emission scenarios
— High
— Medium
— Low
World Stabilization scenarios
--- Emissions peak in 2016
followed by an annual
decrease of 4%
2
1
Temperature rise from pre-Industrial baseline 1760
0
1991
5
2011
2031
2051
2071
2091
The graph shows how different levels of greenhouse gas emissions
would affect global temperature rise by 2100 from a baseline of preindustrial levels (1760). For the next two to three decades there is little
difference between the scenarios. After this point, however, the impact
of different emissions levels becomes significant, leading to a very
wide difference between low and high greenhouse gas emission
scenarios by the 2080s. This highlights that, although some climate
change is now inevitable and will need to be adapted to, it is vital to
cut emissions if we are to restrict levels of change to around 2ºC.
Taken from the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) (Defra 2009).
RESPONDING TO CHANGES IN NATURE
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sustainable development. Taking an integrated approach means that we consider all
elements of the environment when we plan and carry out our work. It allows us to
combine an England and Wales perspective with practical experience of working at
a local level. It also allows us to identify the best environmental options and solutions,
taking into account the different impacts on water, land and air. For example, our
responsibilities for water and land quality mean we can co-ordinate plans for whole
river basins.
The Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) responsible to the Secretary
of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and is an Assembly
Government Sponsored Body (AGSB) responsible to the Welsh Assembly
Government (WAG). We work closely, and in partnership with, the nature
conservation agencies Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales, and
with local authorities. We have a presence across all of England and Wales with teams
based in seven English regions and Wales actively working in their local communities.
Our work includes: regulation of major industry, flood and coastal risk management,
waste management, agriculture, navigation, fisheries, contaminated land, conservation
and ecology, water quality and resources and climate change.
We use technical and scientific data and research – our own and others’ – to
understand the environment and underpin all of our work. We have a duty to report
on the state of the environment in England and Wales.
The Environment Agency and climate change
As well as being regulator for nearly half of the United Kingdom’s greenhouse gas
emissions, the Environment Agency is at the frontline of dealing with the impacts of
climate change. Our core business involves dealing with weather and climate, be it
flooding, coastal erosion or drought. Our job is to ensure that society and our
environment is still able to function despite these shocks. According to the latest
climate change projections for the UK (Defra, 2009) we expect that:
•
all areas of the UK will get warmer, more so in summer than in winter;
•
summer precipitation will tend to decrease across the UK;
•
winter precipitation will tend to increase across the UK;
•
more extreme weather events such as storms and downpours are likely;
•
sea levels will rise (although relative levels will vary around the country
dependent on land movements).
These impacts will directly impact upon the scale and frequency of the issues we have
to deal with (e.g. protecting communities from flooding or ensuring that water
abstraction is sustainable), and our success in responding will help to ensure a robust
national response to climate change. Both Stern (2007) and the IPCC identify that
severe impacts from climate change will often be mediated by water, and water is at
the heart of what we do. For example, today more than 5.5 million homes and
businesses are at risk from flooding from all sources in England and Wales; for over
half a million properties the risk of flooding from the rivers and the sea is high. Because
of climate change this could increase by over 60 per cent by 2035 without additional
investment. On the other side of the coin, 15 per cent of river catchments already have
too much water taken from them. We estimate that by 2050 there could be between 50
and 80 per cent less water in some rivers in the summer, due to climate change.
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We are therefore taking a leadership role on adaptation. We were one of the first
organizations to have an adaptation strategy and we have now committed to acting to
reduce climate change and its consequences as one of the five priorities within our latest
corporate strategy, Creating a Better Place 2010-2015 (Environment Agency, 2009a).
We started by assessing the risks that climate change poses to each of our main
functions (e.g. flood risk management, industry regulation etc.) and developing plans
to address these. This approach is illustrated below, focusing on three of our key areas
of work – flooding and coastal erosion, water resources, and freshwater ecology. We
are building on this work to develop an integrated adaptation programme that will help
us ensure that we invest effort in priority areas and exploit synergies in our adaptive
responses (for example opportunities to combine flood defence with provision of
connected habitat for wildlife). See Box 6 as one example of how we might approach
this integration in future.
Flooding and coastal erosion
Climate change will make flooding more frequent and will increase the rate of coastal
erosion. The Environment Agency’s Long-Term Investment Strategy (Environment
Agency, 2009b) has used the latest UK Climate Projections (UKCP09) to assess future
flood risk. Our modelling suggests that to sustain current levels of protection in the
face of climate change a steady increase in investment for building, improving and
maintaining defences from current levels of £570 million to more than £1 billion a
year by 2035 would be required. This represents a doubling of investment in real terms.
In contrast, limiting investment in building and maintaining defences to current
(2010/2011) levels would increase the number of properties at ‘significant’ risk –
currently 490,000 – by 350,000 by 2035.
In response to this understanding we have:
•
developed a long term investment strategy for flood risk management. This sets
out investment options and benefits for the next 25 years;
•
developed catchment flood management plans (CFMPs) for the whole of England
and Wales. These consider the future impact of climate change on river flows and
identify the most suitable policies for their management;
•
produced Shoreline Management Plans for the coastline of England and Wales,
providing the latest information on coastal change and future management policies.
These are being updated for 2010 to incorporate the latest climate change scenarios
from UKCP09 and will include coastal erosion maps on our internet site;
•
developed strategies for many of our estuaries to reduce flood risk and foster the
sustainable functioning of estuaries;
•
tested the design and performance of all new flood and coastal risk management
schemes against increased river flows and coastal extreme water levels that allow
for climate change;
•
sought to prevent inappropriate developments in areas at risk of flooding.
Water resources
The Environment Agency manages water resources by regulating the removal of water
from water bodies, environmental monitoring and working closely with the water
industry and major water users to plan for future needs. Climate change will seriously
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Box 5: The Thames Estuary 2100 project
Adaptation plans must remain flexible, as the effects of climate change are uncertain. The
Thames Estuary 2100 project has been considering how to plan for and manage tidal
flood risk until the end of the century for London and the Thames Estuary. The area is at
risk of flooding for a number of reasons, and it is not yet clear exactly what impact climate
change will have. The project has recommended what actions the Environment Agency
and others will need to take in the short (next 25 years), medium (the following 40 years)
and long term (to the end of the century). Different options have been tested and modelled
with a range of climate change scenarios to ensure that the plan is flexible. The work has
found that the current flood defences – already of a higher standard than those elsewhere
in the country – provide a greater degree of protection against predicted water levels
than previously thought. The final plan will recommend flood risk management measures,
and set out where and when they will be needed. The adaptation options outlined
will be flexible, so it will be possible to move from one to another depending on the
level of climate change actually experienced. Details of TE2100 are available at
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/104695.aspx and the final
report is due later this year.
affect the water supply-demand balance, including resource availability, security of
supply and the water required to keep our rivers, lakes and ecosystems healthy. We
commissioned research to assess the potential impact of climate change on river flows
across England and Wales by the 2050s (Environment Agency, 2009c). The results
suggest that natural river flows will halve in the summer months with some areas
seeing a possible decrease of up to 80 per cent. Flows in the winter months could
rise by up to 15 per cent. The study suggests that although we will have wetter
winters, they could be shorter and that our drier summers could be longer. When
combined with increased temperatures – and hence increased evaporation, this could
reduce annual natural river flows by up to 15 per cent. We also expect that overall
recharge to aquifers will decrease and that there will be a general lowering of
groundwater levels.
In response to these pressures we are implementing the following approach:
•
We are promoting flexible responses – the uncertainties due to climate change
we face in long-term water resources planning mean that step by step and flexible
solutions are often preferable to fixed solutions. For example, we expect effective
water efficiency measures to be put in place before new reservoirs are promoted.
•
We have developed a Water Resources Strategy that considers the long-term
direction of water resources management in the face of a number of pressures,
including climate change. Some of its key recommendations include increasing
water efficiency measures, promoting the concept of water neutrality, and making
all extraction licences subject to review over time.
•
We provide guidance to water companies on how they should consider and allow
for climate change. We then work, together with Ofwat (the economic regulator
for the water industry), to check that water industry investment plans allow for
climate change.
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•
•
We work with our stakeholders and the public to communicate the challenges
climate change presents to future water resources.
We need good quality long-term records, as these are best suited to monitoring
the impact of climate change. Reviews of our surface and groundwater
hydrometric monitoring networks will explicitly consider the value of sites that
will be particularly sensitive to climate change.
Freshwater ecology
The Environment Agency has responsibilities to protect nationally and internationally
designated sites, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Natura2000 sites. We
are the lead for five wetland UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) habitats and 39
water and wetland species. We are responsible for delivering the Fisheries Strategy
for England & Wales and we are committed to improving water and wetland
biodiversity in our towns, countryside and on the coast. Climate change will have
both direct and indirect consequences for biodiversity in England and Wales, posing
a risk to existing species and habitats as well as providing opportunities for others.
We have been working with the UK Biodiversity Partnership, including Defra, to
establish some guiding principles for conserving biodiversity under a changing
climate. In summary, these are:
•
reduce pressures on biodiversity which are not linked to climate change;
•
reduce the impacts and maximize the benefits of the adaptation and mitigation
measures of other sectors;
•
develop ecologically resilient and varied landscapes;
•
establish ecological networks;
•
use evidence to make decisions.
In addition to these, we will also:
•
work with others to identify changes in management practices and policies that
may help climate change adaptation;
•
ensure climate change is embedded into our non-native invasive species strategy
and identify key species that present an increasing threat with climate change;
•
determine how vulnerable our key species are to climate change and provide
guidance on species and habitats;
•
understand where new habitats should be created to improve species adaptation
and focus habitat restoration activity by mapping potential areas and opportunities for ‘green’ and ‘blue’ corridors;
•
develop indicators to assess and monitor climate change impacts and adaptation;
•
review existing habitat and species action plans under the UKBAP to ensure that
all major non-climate threats have been identified and that risks from future
pressures have been assessed and addressed.
Learning points from our experience of adaptation
The Environment Agency has considered environmental change in its work for many
years. Climate change impacts have been addressed by flood risk appraisal guidance
for over ten years now and we published our first formal adaptation strategy in 2005
and an updated version in 2008. Our approach has evolved over time as discussed
above and we’ll implement an integrated adaptation programme later this year
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Box 6. Ecosystems services
The concept of thinking about the environment in terms of the services it provides to
society such as clean water and air, food and materials is emerging. The ecosystem
approach has been widely recommended as a way in which the overall health or integrity
of ecosystems can be assessed and the multiple benefits derived from them better
described and managed, and is often proposed as an appropriate response to climate
change. A number of principles apply to this approach, in particular that all the goods
and services provided by ecosystems should be included in any economic assessment
of their value and that long term value should be sought over short term gain. We are
supporting Defra in projects they are leading to look at the potential of an ecosystems
approach as a way of integrating what is currently a somewhat fragmented approach
to environmental management, for example looking at how to better manage
catchments to maximize the benefits to society (through joining up food production,
flood management, water quality protection, etc.). Further detail of this work is available
at: www.ecosystemservices.org.uk
In the course of our work on adaptation we have learned a lot about how to embed
consideration of climate change throughout the work of a large organization. In this
section we share what we have learned along the way.
General principles
We start with some general points that we believe are applicable to all organizations
and individuals.
Learn from others: If you are starting to think about coping with climate change you
are not the first, so you should start by reviewing existing guidance and what others
have done. Box 7 lists some useful websites.
Do not think about climate change in isolation: You should evaluate the risks that
climate change poses to your interests alongside other sources of pressure (e.g.
financial constraints) and, when taking decisions on what action to take, be explicit
about your attitude to risk and your risk management goals.
Be proportionate and flexible: Take a risk-based approach to planning and action –
the trick is to ensure that climate change does not knock you off course and, where
possible, to exploit any viable opportunities. Not all climate risks will be significant.
Start by focusing on those that have a high likelihood of occurring and significant
consequences. Look for solutions that have flexibility and deliver multiple benefits.
Address uncertainties, do not ignore them: Predicting future climate conditions,
possible impacts and risks is fraught with uncertainty. It is important to understand
where uncertainties exist and their implications so that informed decisions can be
taken. Defra launched the latest climate projections for the United Kingdom in
summer 2009; they provide a wealth of information about possible future climate
conditions along with substantial guidance on how to interpret and apply the data.
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Box 7. Sources of information about adaptation
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: international action on
adaptation including the Bali Action Plan, the Nairobi work programme and National
Adaptation Programmes for Action.
http://unfccc.int/adaptation/items/4159.php
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: provides a global scientific view on the
current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic
consequences. See particularly Working Group II on impacts, adaptation and
vulnerability.
www.ipcc.ch
European Commission: European policy on climate change adaptation including the White
Paper and guidance for water managers:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm
European Environment Agency: analysis of climate change impacts at a European scale.
www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate
UK Government’s Adapting to Climate Change Programme: information about adaptation
in the UK including the Departmental Adaptation Plans.
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/programme
UK Climate Impacts Programme: impacts of climate change in the UK including the UK
Climate Projections 2009 and guidance on planning adaptation responses.
www.ukcip.org.uk
Environment Agency: details of the Environment Agency’s responsibilities and response
to climate change covering both adaptation and mitigation.
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/climatechange
Natural England: details of Natural England’s work to increase the resilience of the natural
environment to climate change.
www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/climateandenergy/climatechange
London’s Adaptation Strategy: the risks to London and the adaptation actions in response
including management of surface water flood risk, urban greening, and retrofitting of
homes to improve water and energy efficiency.
www.london.gov.uk/climatechange
Adaptation and mitigation: Try not to think about adaptation in isolation from
mitigation. Conceptually these are linked together in many people’s minds when
climate change is considered, and there are also physical links. For example adaptation
activities that significantly add to the greenhouse gas burden should be avoided.
People
Gaining support at all levels for working on adaptation is critical. We have found that
our approach of requiring delivery on adaptation to come from existing teams has
been a good approach in terms of embedding adaptation within business activities,
but the following has been necessary:
Leadership: Make sure that you have high-level leadership and that it is both visible
and meaningful. A central person or team that has the appropriate mandate, authority,
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skills and resources can drive change on a day to day basis but this will be harder if key
messages, including the imperative of taking action, are not broadcast from the top.
Resources: It is vital that the right resources are available. You will need to invest time
and effort to understand climate risks and work out what to do to address them.
Importantly, this needs to be underpinned by investment in awareness raising, training
and provision of tools and resources to enable staff to take account of climate change
in everything they do.
Use existing processes: Exploit existing business processes to ensure that key teams
and individuals are actively engaged and able to deliver actions. Avoid climate change
adaptation being thought of as a stand alone activity.
Process
Finally we consider the steps needed to make and implement decisions about climate
risks.
Work with existing long-term objectives: When assessing the potential impact of
climate change it is important to know what you are assessing risks to. The first step
should be to identify your long-term objectives, and then assess your vulnerability to
weather and climate. You can then proceed to assess risks in more detail, including
using the latest UK climate projections, where appropriate.
Think broadly: Explore all potential climate-related impacts, including indirect effects
(for example impacts on your organization arising from policies to reduce emissions),
and think broadly about options for responding to them. Start by considering the full
range of potential risks prior to carrying out a risk prioritization exercise. Make sure
you consider both threats and opportunities.
Flexibility: As the future is uncertain it is important to look for flexible solutions that
can be adjusted, if necessary, as more information becomes available and uncertainties
reduce.
Fixed infrastructure: On the other hand, take particular care when planning fixed
infrastructure, particularly that with a long lifetime. If possible, designs should cater
for future conditions and retain an element of flexibility to modify structures where
this may become necessary. If flexibility is not an option then a precautionary
approach should be taken – for example when deciding where to site new homes it is
essential to consider both current and future flood risk.
Real actions: Adaptation needs to be about more than just analysis and science –
work out what needs to be physically done differently now to reduce vulnerability
and increase resilience, do it, and make sure people know about it.
Summary and conclusions
With international consensus on the need for action and a strong policy framework
in the UK, the Environment Agency’s role in contributing to efforts to cope with
climate change is unequivocal. Monitoring environmental change and factoring it
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into our operations is routine and we have had a formal adaptation strategy since
2005. This has enabled us to start embedding consideration of climate change into
all our work and, and with limiting and adapting to climate change identified as one
of our five new corporate priorities, we are well-placed to expand on this.
For organizations in the early stages of adaptation planning we highlight the importance
of visible and meaningful leadership. We propose that successful adaptation is in most
cases best achieved through integration into existing business activities and processes.
References
Defra (2009) Adapting to Climate Change: UK Climate Projections. Defra, UK.
Defra (2008) Adapting to Climate Change in England: A Framework for Action.
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