ALM UNDP

Summary:

The following country profile is found in the Meister Consultants Group study: Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets: Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Around the World.

Summary

Great Britain is at the vanguard of climate change adaptation. The country follows a coordinated approach that covers almost all policy areas and involves all key actors, ranging from the Ministry of Environment to the Ministry of Defense. The strategy focuses on integrating adaptation policy into the general political process. For instance, adaptation figures into the government investment process and in the evaluation of municipalities. An important success factor for the British adaptation strategy was the early establishment of an information and coordination center that brings together academia and policy-makers. As a result, municipalities are provided with analysis and assessment tools that help them estimate the risk of climate change and plan the appropriate adaptation measures. Great Britain is more active than many other countries in communicating the need to adapt to climate change. The consequences of climate change in the Great Britain include the risk of flooding, as well as erosion along the coastline and in river basins (p. 33).

Country Profile

The rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have demonstrated how Great Britain is affected by climate change. Examples include the heat wave of 2003, the drought period between 2004 and 2006, and the floods in the summer 2007. According to current projections, the average annual temperature in Great Britain might rise by as much as 5°C by 2080.38 This would result in more heat waves during the summer season, greater amounts of precipitation during the winter, and increased erosion. By 2080, the risk of floods could rise fivefold. Furthermore, Great Britain could simultaneously be affected by water scarcity, even though many households in Southern England dispose of less water per capita than the inhabitants of most Mediterranean countries.

The increasing risk of flooding represents a particular challenge for the eastern and southern regions. Rising sea levels threaten coastal areas in Yorkshire and Humber as well as the surrounding river deltas. The cities of York and Sheffield were hit particularly hard by the floods of 2007.

In addition, Northern Ireland and southwest England will see an increased risk of flooding that threatens infrastructure and the economy in these coastal areas. In addition to the risk of flooding, coastal erosion threatens local landscapes and communities, including the famous chalk cliffs of Dover. Coastal erosion has been a problem along the British coastline for years, but climate change will aggravate the problem significantly. Dealing with conflicting interests in this regard is especially tricky, as many coastal regions threatened by erosion are at the same time attempting to develop and revitalize their communities by building new coastal housing areas.

Seasonal water shortages present a growing threat for regions of Wales, southern England and the Midlands. Wales alone is expected to see half of its water supply centers experience severe shortages within the next 25 years. These water shortages are slated to occur while rising temperatures create even more demand for water for irrigation and air conditioning.41 Energy suppliers are also affected by water shortages given their water demand used for cooling power generation systems. Furthermore, the concentration of pollutants in rivers and lakes can increase due to decreasing rainfalls.

Rising temperatures can cause a shift of vegetation zones. This threatens domestic biodiversity, including areas in Scotland, the West and East of England. On the other hand, there could be positive effects for agriculture, since milder winters can allow new crops to be cultivated. However, rising temperatures can also raise the risk of insect and other pest attacks on new and existing agricultural lands.

Source: Dr. Hans-Peter Meister, I. K., Martina Richwein, Wilson Rickerson, Chad Laurent. Additional contributors: Jeff Snell, Elisa Burchert, Florian Lux. (2009). Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets: Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Around the World. Boston: Meister Consultants Group. p. 33-35