Climate Change Vulnerability of the Natural Environment in North West England
While the reduction of greenhouse gases is essential, some impacts of climate change are now unavoidable. The natural environment is consequently changing, this is not something that can be solved in the short term and much of the change is locked in due to historic and potential future emissions of carbon dioxide. Without allowing areas capacity to change, we put at risk our rich heritage of landscapes, wildlife and access to them and the services that they provide.
Initially a pilot project was developed in 2007 to looked at four specific Character Areas in England, including Cumbria High Fells, that represent contrasting habitats and landscapes that are likely to be affected by climate change.
Responding to the impacts of climate change on the natural environment: Cumbria High Fells - Full report and Summary
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With additional funding through the NW Climate Change Action plan in 2009. The project below aimed to achieve an overview of the vulnerability of the whole of the North West natural environment to climate change as well as developing more NCA CC assessments in new areas.
Assessment of the vulnerability of the Natural Environment to climate change in North West England using the National Character Areas.
The aim of the regional vulnerability assessment was to assess the exposure of an area and its natural assets to the impacts of climate change and its capacity to adapt. All areas of the North West contain many varied attributes, including geology overlaid by sediments, soils, height, coastal location, etc.
These attributes will vary both in the influence climate change will have on them in each geographic location, and their relationship with each other, this in turn determines the areas characteristics.
Regional NCA reports
As a way of testing this approuch, developing a more meanigful place based assesment and actions. The National Charracter Areas climate change pilot methodology has been applied more widley in a number of different areas of the North West. These investigations with a number of different partnerships will result in an assesment of the Climate Change impacts on the geograhic area and the adaptation responces needed to make the natural environment better able to cope with climate change. The first part of this work is available below.
National Character Area Reports
We have been developing further NCA studies to give broader understanding and geographical spead across the north west. We will also have reports on;
Lancshire & Amoundness Plain NCA
Bowland Fells & Fringe NCA’s
North Pennines NCA
Natural England is also reviewing the NCA descriptions and as part of this will be including climate change risk assesments and other relevent infomation in future.
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North West Landscape Framework – Climate Change Assessment – 2010/11
Many of the Landscape Character Framework types lie within the NCA study areas. It is possible to unpick the relevant parts, and bring them into this format in a different structure, so giving results across a wider geographical spread.
