Post by Hoppy on Jun 8, 2007 20:38:09 GMT -1
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- 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:
(1) 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.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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.
(5) 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.
(6) 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: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publications
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- 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:
(1) 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.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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.
(5) 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.
(6) 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: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publications