Transcript Slide 1

What is the Adaptation Challenge?
The Adaptation Challenge creates an
opportunity for young people to take the
lead in raising awareness of climate
change adaptation across the North East,
and establish their schools as ‘hubs’ of
community climate change action.
Harriet Thew
Climate Change Schools Project Officer
August 2010
It’s important to remember that:
Mitigation:
protecting the
climate from us
Adaptation
: protecting us
from the climate
Both are very important and should be tackled SIMULTANEOUSLY
Our climate is changing
We are guaranteed to
see some degree of
climate change as a
result of historic
emissions.
We are already
witnessing more
extreme weather
events like the
Cumbrian floods and
the heat-waves
across Europe in
2003
The Adaptation Challenge aims:
• To establish schools as a ‘hub’ of
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community climate action
To prepare for expected impacts (not to reduce emissions)
To take action
To broaden the project into the
community
To share ideas with other schools
and businesses
To continue to lead the way on
UK climate action
First, we need to look at climate change projections
1. Download Module 4, Climate
Change Impacts from the CCSP
website
2. Read this document stating the
possible effects and adaptations
necessary in the North East of
England
www.ukcip.org.uk/images/stories/P
ub_pdfs/ne_sum.pdf
3. Look at the North East Climate
Change Adaptation Study:
http://www.adaptne.org/
Past experience can no longer provide a reliable guide to the climate we can expect in the future
Assess your future (and current) vulnerabilities to extreme weather
For example, how might your school or local
community be affected by:
Flooding?
Drought?
Rising summer temperatures?
Sea Level Rise?
How might biodiversity be affected?
What about tourism and recreation?
.
Climate Change Adaptation involves:
•Taking action to understand the likely impacts of climate
change or ‘raise adaptive capacity’ and
•Physically preparing for these impacts ‘taking adaptive
action’
Raising Adaptive Capacity e.g:
•Raising awareness of our baseline
climate
•Investigating and addressing our
vulnerabilities (existing and future)
•Looking at UKCIP projections for our
region’s climate to 2050
•Outlining ways in which we can
protect our communities
•Recognising potential opportunities
Taking Adaptive Action e.g:
•Making physical changes to buildings
and infrastructure in a flexible and
creative way - from raising coastal
defences to creating shade for
classrooms
It’s a Challenge!
You may discover that people are reluctant to adapt due to current
financial pressures. Adaptation is sometimes seen as a luxury
rather an a necessity, or something to put off. However:
1. Adaptation doesn’t have to be costly, especially if it is done as
part of other works
2. Taking action now will cost less than what we will have to
spend later if we don’t.
3. Adaptation takes time
4. Small steps can make a BIG difference
In 2009-10, eight Climate Change Lead Schools began
inspirational Adaptation Challenge projects:
•Broadway East First School – Gosforth
•Bydales Technology College – Marske
•Conyers School –Yarm
•Gurney Pease Primary School – Darlington
•Richard Avenue Primary School – Sunderland
•St Anne’s and Bill Quay Schools – Gateshead
•The Grove Primary – Consett
See Module 6 on Lead Schools site for further details of their projects
In 2009-10, eight Climate Change Lead Schools began some
inspirational Adaptation Challenge projects:
Their adaptation activity to date includes:
·Creation of shaded outdoor classrooms to cope with rising summer temperatures
·Planting trees to reduce surface water flooding, to cope with more frequent ‘high intensity’ rainfall
·Creation of biodiversity ‘gardens for the future’ to provide habitat for struggling species
Community events to raise awareness of climate change impacts
·Creation of a community adaptation information centre.
·Canopies in playgrounds for shade and to reduce heat and glare in classrooms
Collecting and using rain-water to prepare for future droughts
·Pupil-led whole school campaigns to encourage children to wear sun hats and sun tan lotion on hot days
Child-led research on how schools in other countries deal extreme weather conditions
•Production of leaflets to inform the local community about how to prepare for flooding and heat-waves
•Drama productions, games, songs and quizzes about climate change adaptation
•Community events to spread the message to a wider audience
A few examples: Flooding
• The Environment Agency website has maps
showing river and tidal risk areas.
• It’s important to also think about surface
water and drainage
Actions could include:
• Moving equipment and materials
upstairs/elsewhere
• Signing up to Flood Warnings Direct
• Door barriers and Floodsacs
• Evacuation plans
• Moving power sockets
• Flood Kits
• Sharing facilities with other schools
• Drainage upgrades if part of other works
• Impacts on local community and business
• Flood Wardens
• Working with local business’ and farms
• Contact with recently flooded schools –
top tips
A few examples: Extreme Temperatures
• Likely to impact most schools
• Measures to increase shade (eg
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screens, tree planting)
Outside working undercover?
(underground?)
Case studies from overseas
Uniform changes
Natural ventilation, air
movement improvements
Don’t forget about the other Impacts:
•Water shortages
•Wildfire
•Storm damage
•Power cuts
•Severe snowfall or
ice (‘though less
frequent)
•Transport problems
These can be difficult to address, but careful planning and taking action to reduce
impacts can make a big difference
Local adaptation projects
Find out what’s going on locally.
• It may be that your Local Authority, or other organisations
such as the Environment Agency , National Parks, Groundwork,
or Wildlife Trusts have projects running in your area which
address some impacts of climate change which you could get
involved with.
• There also may be businesses locally who have already started
to prepare themselves for the impacts of climate change.
If not, encourage them to follow your lead!
Is your school already starting to adapt?
Spread the word!
Ofsted says:
“With their central locations, facilities and extensive networks,
schools can act as hubs of learning and catalysts for change in
their local communities. Focusing on local challenges and finding
solutions to them gives pupils the opportunity to learn and helps to
strengthen local relationships. It also allows them to experience
how decisions are made at first hand, and to develop applied skills
that complement classroom study.”
Ref: Ofsted, To sustainability and beyond
Inspecting and reporting on progress in sustainable development. June 2010,
p.15