AD4 Task 2: Assess opportunities to reduce risk and improve resilience
Sub tasks
- Area/Catchment scale: Assess opportunities for strategic management of unstable ground conditions
- Neighbourhood/Building scale: assess opportunities to deliver new developments that manage the risk of unstable ground conditions
Approach
You should now have an understanding of the risk of unstable ground conditions. This stage is about scoping adaptive measures that will help reduce risk and improve resilience. The opportunities should be considered according to a spatial scale (see Defining Spatial Scale).
Section 4.4 of TCPA’s Climate Change Adaptation by Design Guide will help you scope adaptive measures to manage high temperatures; it provides a number of case studies for reference.
For guidance on how to develop your evidence base into policy see translating evidence into policy. This includes some examples of potential adaptation measures. Below are two case studies for managing ground conditions. For further resources and examples of good practice please see the case studies section.
Wildspace Rainham is an attractive and successful green infrastructure project at Rainham Marshes, on the border of Barking and Dagenham and Thurrock, Essex. Wildspace was initially created on Rainham Marshes, once threatened by development, and now a popular nature reserve and visitor destination. In 2008, the RSPB secured an additional £2.5 million funding to extend Wildspace into the adjoining Purfleet, Aveley and Wennington Marshes, to become Wildspace Thurrock. The project is not only delivering enhanced visitor facilities and a new visitor centre powered by on site renewable energy, but also enhancing the existing habitats to improve ground conditions, maximise flood management functions and biodiversity value.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-204216
The environmental restoration of the Dearne Valley has transformed the area from an abandoned coal mine into an attractive and popular functioning river valley for people and wildlife. In 2001, Yorkshire Forward secured £4 million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme to renovate this degraded landscape. A partnership of Natural England, the Environment Agency and the RSPB delivered the restoration, installing access links, creating accessible green space and reinstalling wetland habitats including a fen. The project has delivered several hundred hectares of wetland habitats to replace the former coalfields, ensuring considerable improvements to the ground conditions and appeal of the valley.
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/GI%20case%20studies_tcm6-10331.pdf
