Yorkshire and Humber ready for national launch of climate projections

18 June 2009

This week sees the launch of the new climate projections for the United Kingdom known as UKCP09, which includes details of what impact climate change could have on the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Produced by the UK Climate Impacts Programme with the MET Office’s Hadley Centre the projections use cutting edge science, placing the UK at the forefront of work to better understand our changing climate. The Climate Change Partnership welcomes the publication of these projections, which along side our recently published Regional Adaptation Study provide a comprehensive set of tools and guidance to spearhead work in the region.

The projections show the impact on the region that the climate may have, such as a projected 3.5% rise in average summer temperature, a rise of 15% in winter rainfall and a significant reduction of 22% in summer rainfall by the 2080s. Not only does the report highlight some of the possible effects of climate change but also some of the key regional impacts. This includes the threat of more flooding, heat waves and storm damage in urban areas and land erosion and tidal flooding on coastal areas.

As a result the Climate Change Partnership is supporting targeted action across the region, resulting from the Climate Change Plan published earlier this year. For example, work is already under way to set up a Land Management Forum to coordinate the wide range of stakeholders who can help us be better prepared for the future – for example by improving flood risk management.

All Local Authorities in the region have signed up to Local Area Agreement targets that will help reduce green house gas emissions, with many of them having designated local targets on adapting to climate change or flood and coastal erosion risk management. In addition, YoHr Space (the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership) is supporting a sub-regional programme on climate change to support leadership and delivery by local authorities and their partners.

September will see the roll out of support for major stakeholders in relation to UKCP09 with a week long programme of activity planned for 21 – 15 September, which will include sector specific workshops and consideration of principal regional issues on climate change.

Councillor Arthur Barker, Chair of the Climate Change Partnership and Leader of Hambleton District Council said: “Climate change may have a big impact on the Yorkshire and Humber region and we have to make sure that our Local Authorities and other partners are prepared for this. The new projections confirm that if we fail to act now then things could get much worse. The Projections support the determination of the Partnership to do all we can to reduce the impact of environmental change, such as supporting the adoption of new forms of renewable energy at the local and community level and large scale projects like carbon capture – both technologies where Yorkshire and Humber region is leading on nationally. This is our opportunity to make sure that climate change is one of the main priorities for the future.”

Toby Willison, Regional Director of the Environment Agency said "The projections remind us that we must act now if we are to ensure a sustainable future. To do this we need to be bold, work in partnership and make it easier for people and businesses to change the way they use energy and resources."

Case Studies

Manor Field District Park, Sheffield

• A new district park in Sheffield is the result of work between Sheffield City Council and partners to transform derelict land into an inspiring, safe and welcoming space for residents and visitors.
• A new housing development adjacent to a regeneration site presented opportunities to explore adapting the traditional drainage system. This led to the development of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) designed by Robert Bray Associates, removing the need for engineered below-ground structures and allowing natural processes to occur.
• The new drainage system functioned as designed during the floods of summer 2007 reducing the impact that runoff from the site might have had on the River Don. The design of the SUDS scheme included a basin that acted primarily as community open space doubling as a 1 in 100-year flood basin. It held back the flood water from entering the river system and within four days the area was being used as the base for a community activity.
• The innovative approach taken by Sheffield City Council’s Environmental planning and Landscape Design Team in the development of Manor Fields has resulted in an environment which is well adapted to prospective climate scenarios, as well as reducing the city’s impact on future climate change

"Rollback" of coastal caravan park – East Riding of Yorkshire

• The East Riding Coastal Zone, stretching from Flamborough Head to Spurn Point, has one of the fastest eroding coastlines in North West Europe. The coastline is one of the region's key environmental assets and the caravan park is an important tourist destination.
• With the need to have a sustainable approach to maintaining the viability of the caravan industry on this coastline, the concept of "rollback" was developed by the local authority, Environment Agency and caravan park owners.
• Rollback looks at how caravan parks can physically move further inland away from the threat of coastal erosion whilst improving the quality of the local environment and sustaining the communities which are dependent on coastal tourism. Partners such as the Local Planning Authority have looked at the implications of re-locating the parks, and have developed guidelines, standards and policies within which any moves can be made.
• The programme has, so far, been a major success. Visitors to the coast have access to better quality tourism facilities and they will also be able to enjoy a higher quality natural environment. Rollback is now a tried and tested approach to reducing the risk of coastal erosion that can be applied to other coastal areas.

Notes to editors:

The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Change Partnership brings together the key agencies across the region to drive forward our work to tackle to cause and effect of climate change. It is the responsibility of the Climate Change Partnership to take forward delivery of the Climate Change Plan including integrating the key adaptation work arising from the Regional Adaptation Study.

The membership of the partnership comprises:

•  Business in the Community
•  Environment Agency
•  Friends of the Earth (third sector representative)
•  Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber
•  Local Government Yorkshire and Humber
•  Strategic Health Authority
•  UK Climate Impacts Programme
•  Yorkshire Forward
•  Yorkshire Futures
•  Yorkshire & Humber Regional Flood Defence Committee
•  Yorkshire Water

The Regional Adaptation Study can be downloaded from www.adaptyh.co.uk and the Regional Climate Change Plan can be downloaded from www.yourclimate.org