Planning Researchers Launch Free Online Tool to Help Communities Plan and Adapt for Climate Change
Dr Richard Kingston and Dr Gina Cavan have launched a new, free online toolkit to help local authorities and communities assess the risk and vulnerability to climate change impacts in their area across Europe.
The innovative and easy to use tool has been developed through research at the School of Environment and Development as part of the European Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco-towns (GRaBS) project (see also www.grabs-eu.org).
Climate change is already leading to an increased frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding and droughts. Many of these climate change impacts will be – and in some cases already have been – felt directly at the local level. It is therefore essential that people understand the challenges they face in their community and plan for them. Several years ago the word ‘adaptation’ was little known; today it is increasingly recognised as central to the future resilience of our communities as well as improving peoples’ quality of life and biodiversity.
Dr Richard Kingston said:
“Local governments have a responsibility to protect their people, property, and resources. With the economies, livelihoods, safety and character of their communities at stake, cities must harness their visionary leadership and resources, such as the risk and vulnerability toolkit, to increase resilience as they prepare for the future. Projects such as GRaBS provide a rich insight into adaptation planning and are leading the way in sharing knowledge and expertise which results in action on the ground. This will be crucial in the UK as the Government devolves power to the local level, with councils and communities at the forefront of adapting to climate change and delivering positive solutions.”
Diane Smith, European and Corporate Affairs Manager at the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and lead partner of GRaBS, said:
“It is vital that we grasp the impact of extreme weather on our towns and cities and the social and economic devastation that this can cause. This user friendly tool for assessing risk and vulnerability to climate change is exactly the kind of practical assistance local authorities and communities need if they are to plan for the future resilience of their communities and protect people’s quality of life. It has been developed and tested with communities across Europe including Southampton, Sutton and the North-West of England, and is one of the key outputs of the GRaBS project.”
The new tool will help to build the evidence base available to decision makers and other stakeholders when developing adaptation plans and strategies. Vulnerability relates to the susceptibility of elements at risk (e.g. people, buildings, greenspace) to climate hazards such as heat stress or flooding. Vulnerability to climate change impacts can be high where certain elements at risk, such as elderly people, zones of high density development, or critical infrastructure, are exposed to climate hazards. Identifying the locations where vulnerability is high is central to the development of climate change adaptation strategies. Adaptation strategies act to reduce vulnerability by lowering exposure and increasing resilience of elements at risk from climate hazards.
The GRaBS project, which ran from September 2008 to September 2011, had a number of objectives, including:
- Raising awareness and increasing the expertise of key bodies responsible for spatial planning and development as to how green and blue infrastructure can help urban areas adapt to projected climate scenarios;
- The integration of climate change adaptation into local and regional planning and development, and increased cooperation amongst key players, via the development of good practice Adaptation Action Plans;
- The development of the above innovative, cost effective and user-friendly Risk and Vulnerabilities Assessment Tool, to aid strategic planning of climate change adaptation responses; and
- Improving stakeholder and community involvement in planning, delivering and managing green and blue infrastructure in new and existing urban development.
The new online toolkit can be accessed at: www.ppgis.manchester.ac.uk/grabs.
For further details please contact Dr Richard Kingston at richard.kingston@manchester.ac.uk.
16 September 2011