username password Forgotten Password ? | Register as a new member
Advanced Search
Home > Case Studies > Overcoming Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation

Overcoming Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation

The South East England Regional Assembly commissioned the development of a Climate Change Implementation Plan (see document at http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/key/climate_change/CLIMATE_FULL.pdf) with support from the Interreg IIIB project ESPACE (European Spatial Planning: Adapting to Climate Events - http://www.espace-project.org) to set out measures required to implement the cross-cutting climate change policy of the draft South East Plan (website http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/plan/view_plan.html). There are still many barriers in the way of adapting to climate change including knowledge gaps, coordination, funding, conflicting priorities and resistance to change. The Assembly appointed Collingwood Environmental Planning to determine key barriers to delivering successful adaptation and recommendations to overcome these barriers. The consultancy used causal chain analyses which are more in-depth than a simple linear model of cause and effect taking account of relationships between barriers at different growth levels. The barriers and potential solutions were also tested through interviews, virtual dialogue, meetings and workshops with experts from local authorities, Government agencies and other organisations in the UK and the Netherlands. The research will provide evidence to better integrate climate change adaptation into regional planning policy and its implementation. A summary of the findings will also be a useful tool for regional and local stakeholders who would like to understand how specific barriers can be overcome.

Overview of Results

The research is looking at a range of actions for regional players to overcome the barriers. Actions under the following headings 1–6 relate to specific adaptation measures in the climate change policy of the South East Plan, actions under headings 7-10 are more generic and apply many different adaptation measures:

1. Guide strategic development away from risk areas

  • Developing tools to be used for existing assessments (such as Flood Risk Assessments and Sustainability Appraisals) ensuring better support for decision-making on climate change impacts and adaptation and fostering creative solutions.

    • 2. Ensure the built environment is more resilient to climate change

  • Promoting common standards improving the resilience of buildings.
  • Encouraging national government and agencies to adopt higher standards and a national accreditation system for climate-resilient practices, equipment and fittings.
  • Bringing together good practice with climate resilience in spatial planning policy and development control.

    • 3. Incorporate high standards of water efficiency in developments

  • Installing water meters in all properties.
  • Agreeing water efficiency levels in new development.

    • 4. Incorporate sustainable drainage measures in developments

  • Encouraging local authorities to include sustainable drainage as a specific policy in local planning documents.
  • Developing regional guidance and best practice on maintenance and the long-term management of sustainable drainage.

    • 5. Avoid flood risk through integrated surface water management

  • Creating and agreeing integrated surface water strategies.

    • 6. Ensure opportunities for the migration of habitats and species are not foreclosed

  • Building robust evidence on the vulnerability of habitats and species to climate change and identifying what protection or management conditions are required to allow adaptation of habitats and species to a changing climate.

    • 7. Improve leadership

  • Making the challenge of adaptation relevant to leaders from a range of sectors and organisations across the region by increasing their understanding of the benefits of adaptation actions.
  • Facilitating the testing of innovative approaches to adaptation, providing support through advice, incentives and monitoring.

    • 8. Ensure consistency of policy framework

  • Ensuring that all policies are climate proofed through the use of common definitions/goals/indicators for applying policy in different and dynamic contexts.

    • 9. Improve partnership working

  • Using existing networks and partnerships to promote the delivery of adaptation measures.

    • 10. Improve knowledge and awareness

  • Making existing information and advice more widely available to decision makers.

    • Contact Email:

    Organisation:

    South East England Regional Assembly

    Funding Details:

    Study commissioned by the Regional Assembly and co-funded by the Interrreg IIIB project ESPACE

    Status:

    Study due for completion in June 2008

    Keywords relating to this case study:

    Planning, climate change, adaptation, regional, policy, implementation, ESPACE, planners

    South East groups case study relates to:

    Planning

    clr