Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation

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Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation

• Tony Hothersall
• 6th November 2008

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Green Infrastructure

• Life support system the network of natural
  environmental components green blue spaces
  that lie within between our cities, towns
  villages provide multiple social, economic
  environmental benefits
• www.greeninfrastructurenw.org.uk

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Regional Policy

• RSS - policy EM3 on GI
• Plans, strategies, proposals schemes should aim
  to deliver wider spatial outcomes that
  incorporate environmental socio-economic
  benefits by conserving managing existing GI,
  creating new GI, enhancing its functionality,
  quality, connectivity accessibility
• RES transformational action 113
• Develop the economic benefit of the regions
  natural environment through better alignment of
  environmental activities and economic gain
• GI is in the reason for this action
• SIRS
• Critical GI for sustainable economic growth

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NW Climate Change Action Plan Action 4.3

• Undertake scoping studies to assess future
  regional risks, opportunities and priorities for
  the potential for green infrastructure, including
  regional parks, to adapt and mitigate for climate
  change impacts and commence implementation of
  findings
• Lead by Community Forests Northwest

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Stages of Action 4.3

• Setting out GI priorities for climate change
  adaptation mitigation
• Reviewing research, policy, physical delivery
• Mapping of GI climate change assets
• Detailed study of 2 strategically important areas
• Regional GI Climate Change Action Plan
• Advisory Panel support stakeholder workshops
  throughout
• Support through ForestClim Interreg IVB programme

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Climate Change The Role of GI

• GI has a role to play in climate change
  mitigation adaptation
• Mitigation role limited but important
• Carbon sequestration storage
• Fossil fuel material substitution
• Food production
• Reducing need to travel by car
• Adaptation role is substantial

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Summer Temperature Anomalies (relative to
1961-1990 mean)
Source Stott et al, 2004
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Moderating Urban Temperature Extremes
Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Urban
Environments (ASCCUE), University of Manchester
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Reducing Flood Risk
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
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Allowing Species Movement
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A Visitor Resource
e.g. Delamere Grizedale Forests
Climate Change and the Visitor Economy (CCVE),
University of Manchester
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Delivering Climate Change Adaptation

• GI plans and strategies e.g. growth points
• Community Forests Northwest others already
  delivering climate change adaptation
• Landscape scale projects
• Short chain between policy change
  implementation
• Urban rural tree planting for local communities
• Green Streets
• i-trees
• City Cooling

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Thank you! For more information please contact
susannahgill_at_merseyforest.org.uk