|
Home page
Frequently Asked Questions
Impacts on SW and
background information
Warming to the idea*
*SW Climate Change Impact Scoping Study including report summary and technical report
Young Climate Change
Champion - SW
|
Background information
The world is warming
The world is warming. Global mean temperatures have risen about 0.6°C since 1860 when systematic temperature records began. Globally, the first decade of this century was by far the warmest decade on the 160-year global instrumental record and 2010 was the second warmest year on record (the warmest being 1998). 2003 saw the highest maximum temperature recorded in the UK (38.5°C at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent).
There is evidence that rainfall patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, glaciers are retreating and arctic sea-ice is thinning. The incidence of extreme weather is also increasing in some parts of the world. Extreme weather events, such as the 1976 drought, 2003 heatwave, and 2007 Gloucestershire floods, are expected to become more frequent.
Researchers are confident that most of the warming is due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the earth's atmosphere. Concentrations of GHGs have risen by 50% in less than 200 years, largely through the burning of carbon rich fossil fuels and deforestation. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which involves several thousand of the world's leading scientists, concluded in 2007 that 'most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrations'. See also Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
The UK response
Adapting to climate change is increasingly being recognised as a high priority. The Climate Change Act (2008) covers both climate change mitigation (minimising future climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (preparing for the effects of inevitable climate change). The Act requires a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment to be undertaken every 5 years (the first is currently underway and due to be completed in 2012) and a national adaptation programme to be developed. Public bodies and statutory undertakers (i.e. water and energy utility
companies) are also required to report on how they have assessed the risks of climate change and what they are going to do to address these. The first of these reports have been published and are available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/sectors/reporting-authorities/.
The SW response
Climate SouthWest (formerly known as the South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership (SWCCIP)) was first established in 2001/2 to consolidate work on the impacts of climate change through the creation of a partnership between key stakeholders. Climate SouthWest's mission is: "to help the South West of England to adapt sustainably to the impacts of climate change".
The initial task for Climate SouthWest has been to oversee the research, production and dissemination of a South West Region Climate Change Impact Scoping Study which has now been completed
(a link to the final scoping study report is on the left hand side of this page). A Steering Group (subsequently renamed as the Climate SouthWest Forum) was created to oversee the production of this study, co-ordinated by the Regional
Office of the Environment Agency, and included representatives of all levels of government, the business community and Non Governmental Organisations. The Forum continues to steer the ongoing work of the partnership.
Return to TOP
Our climate is changing
- The South West is becoming warmer - between 1961 and 2006, average daily temperature increased by 1.4°C. By the 2050s, average temperatures are likely to be 2.7°C warmer (and could be as much as 5.1°C warmer) in summer.
- Autumns and winters are becoming wetter - between 1961 and 2006, winter precipitation increased by 15.9%. By the 2050s, winter precipitation is likely to increase by 17% (and possibly by as much as 40.6%).
- Summers are becoming drier - between 1961 and 2006 summer precipitation decreased by 8.8%. By the 2050s, summer precipitation is likely to decrease by 20% (and possibly by as much as 44.5%).
- Relative sea level continues to rise around the South West. Levels are likely to be 26-29 cm higher by the 2050s than they were in 1991.
- The South West can also expect more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall/flooding, droughts and heatwaves. The contribution to total winter precipitation from heavy rainfall events has already increased by approximately 5% since 1961.
The above figures have been taken from the UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09) and are in relation to the 1961-1990 baseline. For further information on the projected changes in climate for the SW see pages 7 - 19 of the Climate SouthWest scoping study "Warming to the
idea: Building resilience to extreme weather and climate change in the South West" (listed under 2010). This report also contains information about how these changes may affect key sectors across the South West's environment, economy and society.
Return to TOP
Key impacts of climate change for the South West
In November 2010 Climate SouthWest hosted a workshop to bring together partners from a wide range of sectors, in order to identify those climate change impacts which are most pertinent for the South West. The following key themes emerged from the workshop as particularly important for the South West:
- Critical Infrastructure - Disruption to critical infrastructure and transport links from flooding and other severe weather, which affect access, utilities, and services. This is a particular issue for rural and isolated communities. Such disruption also poses a risk to business due to the impacts on logistics and supply chains.
- Tourism - Impacts on tourism from coastal change, disruption to infrastructure, health effects (particularly heat-related); as well as the effects of increased visitors (due to hotter, drier summers) on infrastructure and the environment.
- Health - Impacts of heat (e.g. heat stroke, skin cancer) particularly on elderly and transient populations (tourists); as well as increased risk of tick-borne diseases and mental health issues arising from flood events.
- Biodiversity - Impacts of climate change on ecosystem services (i.e. availability of water, changing natural habitats and landscapes).
- Coastal Change - Sea level rise and erosion impacting on business, people, property, transport (e.g. coastal railway at Dawlish) and wildlife.
In addition, it is recognised that agriculture is an important sector locally and that local government will have an increasing responsibility for delivering on adaptation in their local areas and engaging communities.
Return to TOP
ClimateSouthWest
|
