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Climate Change Resilience: preparing for extreme weather

Climate change is happening. The UK is predicted to see extreme weather with hotter summers regularly reaching 40C, intense local flooding, sea level rises and, extreme water levels including storm surges. We know that this will happen so, how should we prepare?

This article, and others in this series, will help you understand what Climate Change Resilience is and, what we can do to live as comfortable as possible in the extreme weather that the MetOffice has predicted will become our new normal in the coming years.

 

this is not the worst case scenario

The Earth’s atmosphere is warming creating new, inclement, patterns with increasingly extreme weather. In the UK, the Met Office predicts extreme swings with;

  • Hotter summers regularly reaching 40C
  • Periods of drought
  • Intense local flooding
  • Sea level rises
  • Extreme water levels including storm surges

Remember this is whether or not global warming gets any worse. In other words, this is not the worst case scenario.

The Met Office states that “our adaptation plans should include preparation for worse climate change scenarios”

our infrastructure will start to fail, and vulnerable groups will suffer the most and die

How will this effect us?

In the UK we are usually prepared for the normal types of weather we experience (maybe not out train services though 😉 ) and, let’s face it, our green and pleasant land is shaped by quite gentle weather patterns.

Our bodies can deal with the temperature range. Our houses, buildings, hospitals, schools can cope with 25C heat. Our transport infrastructure including road surfaces, rail tracks, and transport systems are designed for the temperature and rain/snow levels we receive.

But as weather reached the predicted extremes, our infrastructure will start to fail, and vulnerable groups will suffer the most and die.

Imagine soil shrinkage causing burst water and gas mains causing a loss of water, loss of gas and local fires.

It is time to review upgrade our infrastructure to help life continue as pleasantly as possible and, prevent the chaos, anxiety, suffering, and increased death rate that would be caused by the predicted extreme weather.

If we fail to plan, we plan to fail our residents and communities, especially the vulnerable and poor.

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash

 

Climate Change Resilience should be included in the RBWM Environment & Climate Strategy

Climate Change Resilience – preparing for extreme weather patterns

The good news is that some of the methods for creating resilience in our communities and environment also increase our well being and, help reduce our carbon footprint, and not just prevent the dire.

Here’s what we should do;

  1. Work with meteorologists to assess the effects on national and local weather
  2. Assess what services, infrastructure, buildings, and people are at risk****  
  3. Identify methods to reduce the negative outcomes on these areas****
  4. Find funding to implement the ideas****
  5. Implement the ideas****
  6. Continually review the predictions, risk, and effectiveness of proposed solutions****

**** These activities should include deep engagement and collaboration with partners including residents, businesses and health services

In order to achieve this, Climate Change Resilience should be included in the RBWM Environment & Climate Strategy

 

Green Resilience risk assessment diagram|City of Toronto

Learning from others, what could our plan include?

Applying the Venn Diagram from the City of Toronto’s Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Syneries  to our local situation, here are just a few, off the cuff ideas – remember, this should be done in detail by RBWM and collaboratively to ensure we can face the future as well prepared as we can be;

  • Planting more trees and, considering planting type and fire breaks – this will absorb rainfall and reduce local flooding
  • Prevent building on any flood plains and green spaces
  • Prevent the loss of green spaces such as front and rear gardens – this will prevent an increase in surface water run off exacerbating local flooding
  • Weatherproofing buildings to cope with extreme heat
  • Stipulating building regulations that allow residents and building users to exist comfortably
  • Invest in flood mitigation schemes such as the River Thames Scheme
  • Build water storage facilities or secure water supply for food producers
  • Build roads to survive high temperatures and localised flooding
  • Create community emergency plans
  • Facilitate useful, green, low cost, climate-resilient transportation
  • Implement water saving concepts and devices
  • Faciltate residents and businesses achieving all of the above through education, grants, collaborations, prizes, and conferences

 

RBWM must include Climate Resilience in its plans and, we must push them to do so.

We must prevent dereliction of duty, negligence in power and, authorities reneging on their responsibilities to us.

Failure is not an option.

Please respond to the RBWM Environment & Climate Strategy Consultation – click here

 

Accountably yours

Wisdom

Cllr Wisdom Da Costa

Co-Deputy Vice-Chair, RBWM Cross Party Climate Change Panel

 

More information

 

References

 

Credit

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash

 

Caveat

  • This post is part of the WWRA Councillors regular series of Blogs to inform and empower local residents; as promised in their election leaflet
  • It is also to comply with clause v of the Members Code of Conduct which states, “You must be as open as possible about your decisions and actions and the decisions and actions of your authority and should be prepared to give reasons for those decisions and actions.”
  • The views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of the West Windsor Residents Association (WWRA).
  • Any errors are unintentional so, I would value you bringing them to my intention so I can correct them. You can Email me cllr.dacosta@rbwm.gov.uk