imcore project update dr rhoda ballinger ballingerrc@cf.ac.uk sep jac meeting tuesday 11 th may 2010

IMCORE Project Update

Dr Rhoda Ballingerballingerrc@cf.ac.uk

SEP JAC Meeting Tuesday 11th May 2010

• Overview of the IMCORE project• Science stream update• Planning workstream update

IMCORE“Innovative Management of Europe’s

Changing Coastal Resource”

Aims: • To promote a transnational,

innovative & sustainable approach to reducing the impacts of climate change on coastal resources

• To develop adaptation strategies for coastal sites across North West Europe

• To demonstrate the effectiveness of various approaches to climate change adaptation

www.imcore.eu

Severn Estuary ECN

Main aim: To enhance the capacity for

Climate change adaptation in theSevern Estuary area

Subsidiary aims: To inform the development of

climate change adaptation on the Severn Estuary

To encourage joint working and improved interaction between scientists and policy makers

IMCORE Study Sites

9 Expert Couplet Nodes (ECNs)

Severn ECN Workstreams

• SECCRAG meeting held 26th February 2010 • Severn Estuary Climate Change Citations Database – – Initial review and restructure complete – Content and gap analysis underway

• Science Report Cards – regional climate change trends and predictions, June 2010– Sea level change & storm surges– Overview of climate variables

Science Workstream Update

Workstream Researcher: Ciara Hovey, Email: hoveyce1@cf.ac.uk

Planning Workstream Update• Phase I Severn Estuary Planning Stocktake – 32 Severn Estuary plans reviewed & report written

• Phase II Interviews– 12 Severn Estuary planners interviewed to identify critical

issues in adapting to climate change at the coast– Report being prepared, presenting findings from Phases I

& II

• Conference– ‘Planning for the Severn Estuary’, June 21st 2010, Bristol

Workstream Researcher: Dr Wendy Dodds, Email: doddsw1@cf.ac.uk

Phase I Stocktake: Emerging Policy Trends

Going Up • Strong emergence of

explicit climate change policies within emerging plans• focus remains on mitigation

• High numbers of flood risk policies in both adopted and emerging plans

Going Down• ‘Dropping off’ of coastal

zone –related policies within emerging plans

• Few references to Shoreline Management Plans in existing plans -none in emerging plans

• Few references to Severn Estuary Strategy in existing plans & none in emerging plans

Phase II – Interviews with Severn Estuary Planners

Critical IssuesFlood Risk*Renewable Energy GenerationNature ConservationBuilding DesignTransport* As identified by all interviewees

IMCORE Severn Estuary ECN Future Activities

• Planning stream– RTPI Conference (21 June, Bristol)– Delphi survey – building on planning findings (Summer 10)– Planners’ Workshop – Sept 20?

• Science stream– Science report cards on key climate change topics

• Piloting of visualisation of climate change impacts• Education work - Beacons