Local climate adaption strategy launched

The Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (DCIoS) Climate Adaptation Strategy has been published and will help to ensure that the region can make the changes needed to cope with the worst effects of climate change.  

Its publication comes after a consultation earlier this year in which 76 per cent of respondents expressed concern about climate change and 69% said they have felt the effects of climate change already.   

To respond effectively to the climate crises, it is vital that strategies are put in place to deal with both the cause of rising greenhouse gases and their effect on our communities, also called mitigation and adaptation respectively. 

Mitigation focuses on tackling the causes of climate change to make the inevitable impacts of rising global temperatures less severe by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. 

Whereas adaptation is the process of adjusting to the negative impacts and opportunities of climate change that we are already seeing and can be expected in the future. 

The strategy sets out risks to the region from climate impacts, the conditions for everyone to act on adapting to climate change together, and priority actions for regional collaboration over the next five years. 

Priority short-term actions for local government and public institutions include building and developing resilience partnerships to ensure the co-ordination of arrangements for an emergency, developing a climate change public awareness campaign, and providing information to enable adaptation planning by businesses and householders. 

Actions for organisations, community groups and individuals are also set out, such as the formation of local Community Resilience Groups. 

All actions align with broader ‘strategic directions’ for the natural environment, infrastructure, health and the built environment, business and industry, and other cross cutting themes. 

The world has already experienced warming of around 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) and further temperature changes are expected in the future. Significant climate impacts are therefore inevitable. 

For example, if global temperatures increase by 4°C by 2100, projections suggest sea level in the DCIoS region is very likely to rise by between 0.24m and 0.38m by 2050 relative to the 1981 – 2000 average, putting coastal and low-lying communities at risk.

The risks to properties from coastal erosion are projected to increase over time. Sixty-seven properties are at risk over the next 20 years. This rises to 122 properties at risk in 20 to 50 years’ time. Climate change is projected to increase winter rainfall and increase the intensity and frequency of storm events, furthering the region’s vulnerability. This means that events like Storm Ciaran – which affected Devon earlier this month and saw more than 80 reported incidents of fallen trees, flooded roads and landslips on local roads – are likely to become more common.

The strategy can be downloaded here.