Martin Watkins - 14-Jun-2007
- A report on the River Usk published by
Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside
Council for Wales has found that measures
to protect wildlife, woodland and water
in Wales need to adapt to the threat of
climate change.
The report analysed six policies to protect
the environment in Wales and looked at their
vulnerability to climate change. It recommended
a coherent, joined-up approach to build
this increased risk into countryside management.
The six initiatives/policies analysed were:
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Welsh agri-environment schemes (Tir Gofal)
Woodlands Strategy
Biomass Action Plan
Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies
(CAMS)
Catchment Flood Management Plans (CFMP).
Dr. Alan Netherwood, the climate change
strategy manager for the Agency, said:
"This research provides clear evidence
that we need to work in a more joined up
way to manage the rural environment and
economy in Wales in response to a changing
climate.
"It improves our understanding of
the scale of the changes and their implications
for the way we manage our biodiversity,
countryside and landscape. It also look
at the way we deal with flood risk and water
resources in the future."
Using the River Usk as a case study, Professor
Gareth Edwards-Jones from the University
of Wales applied a range of climate and
socio-economic scenarios to the six natural
resource initiatives, looking ahead to 2020
and 2050.
Countryside Council for Wales’ Climate
Change Advisor, Dr Clive Walmsley, said
rather than waiting for the impact of climate
change, policy needed to help land managers
find opportunities within adaptation practices.
"Now that we’ve got a general acceptance
that some degree of climate change is inevitable,
we’ve got to do some horizon scanning and
find opportunities," Dr Walmsley said.
"A UK level revision of Common Agricultural
Policy, needs to take these different strategies
for rural land use and create an integrated
land management approach, that doesn’t view
policies as separate and isolated.
"For example, biomass production is
a positive renewable energy source. However,
if we look at the strategy from a single
focus, we won’t see that it could have the
wider negative effects on habitat or biodiversity."
The study found:
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
– the current policy lacks flexibility because
it is firmly based at specific sites without
accounting for species that will need to
disperse and colonise new sites – not protected
by SSSI status – in response to climatic
changes.
Welsh Tir Gofal scheme – an agri-environment
policy that is well positioned to adapt
to changing climatic and socio-economic
conditions. Although dependent on the co-operation
of farmers, regular reviews of management
practices and payments provide a flexible
system that may help enhance the performance
of other policies.
Woodlands Strategy – success of climate
proofing is partially dependent on external
forces such as the future demand for timber
products and the world price for timber.
Landscape level planning may support the
climate proofing of other natural resource
initiatives – such as conservation and water
resource policies, but conflict may arise
due to timber industry imperatives.
Biomass Action Plan – like woodland initiatives,
dependent on viable markets. Environmental
problems associated with wide scale planting
of commercial biomass crops may be exacerbated
under climate change. Like woodlands, strategic
landscape planting could help meet climate
change goals of other initiatives.
Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies
(CAMS) – a flexible policy, reducing its
vulnerability to climate change, but only
one part of the overall water resource planning
framework. However, it faces the challenge
of balancing social and environmental water
demand with decreased future rainfall.
Catchment Flood Management Plans (CFMP)
– also a flexible policy with regular reviews,
but the very unpredictable nature of flooding
makes it vulnerable to climate change. CFMP’s
could potentially interact with other natural
resource initiatives – such as woodlands
– to increase infiltration of water and
reduce flood risk.
Each policy was analysed using a common
framework, which assessed the vulnerability
of key components of each policy to climate
change. The study applied the UK Climate
Impacts Programme (UKCIP) risk assessment
methodology, developing risk assessment
matrices which demonstrate how generic policy
analysis can be used to assess vulnerability
to climate change and guide adaptation at
a scale useful to resource managers and
policy makers. The study created the first
database of climate change impacts on socio-economic
indicators for Wales.
The study Climate proofing rural resource
protection policies and strategies in Wales
can be found on the Environment Agency publications
catalogue: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publications
+ More
Environment Agency builds Sawley trial
embankment
Lyn Fraley - 13-Jun-2007 - The Environment
Agency is inviting people to comment on
its plans to build a trial flood embankment
at Sawley this summer.
The trial embankment will raise approximately
50 metres of the existing embankment by
half a metre, and widen it by 4 metres towards
Wilne Road.
It will allow us to test the methods and
materials we plan to use for the Nottingham
Left Bank defences to ensure that, if planning
permission is granted, they will provide
an effective solution to the problem of
flooding in Nottingham and be beneficial
for the environment.
Building the trial embankment can be done
under our own powers, and does not require
planning permission. It does not represent
the beginning of building work on the main
defences which, subject to planning permission,
will provide modern standards of flood protection
to over 16,000 homes and businesses in Nottingham.
If the trial embankment is a success and
planning permission for the main scheme
is granted, it will remain to form part
of the new defence line. Otherwise, it will
be removed, restoring the embankment to
its current size.
Project Manager, Malcolm Dineley says "We
are not trying to pre-empt planning permission
for the main defences at Sawley by starting
early. The 50 metre section of embankment
we plan to build now will allow us to test
the methods and materials we hope to use
for the main defences so that, if planning
permission is granted, we can be sure they
will provide effective flood protection
for Nottingham."
The trial embankment will be built from
a number of materials, including colliery
shale. It will then be subjected to tests
for strength and permeability. If it proves
successful, it will enable us to benefit
the environment by making good use of safe
materials that would otherwise go to waste.
Comments, in writing, and requests for
further information about the trial embankment
should be addressed to James Mallender,
National Capital Programme Management Service,
Olton Court, 10 Warwick Road, Olton, B92
7HX Tel: 0121 708 4693. The closing date
for comments is 12 July 2007.
