Adaptation

"Adaptation involves adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities." (Climate Change PPS).

On the basis that some degree of climate change is now inevitable, local authorities, businesses and other organisations across the UK are adapting their activities to cope with less predictable weather patterns and more extreme events like flash-flooding or heat-waves.

This toolkit will enable you to consider the effects that climate change will have locally, so that planning can be used as to help communities adapt, now and for the foreseeable future.

But as well as improving resilience, effective policy can also help planners maximise the potential benefits of climate change. Many adaptive measures, such as green infrastructure, have multiple benefits, and many adaptation issues addressed under the Climate Change PPS may contribute to the delivery of other national planning policies. For more detail on these crossovers see Adaptation in planning policy.

The Climate Change PPS focuses on adaptation and the built environment. Some key climatic risks and examples of their potential impact on the built environment are considered below.

Increased temperatures: Excessive solar gain, overheating in buildings, heightened impact in urban areas. More shade and outdoor space may be needed.

Increased winter rainfall: Increasing the risk of flooding and water-quality issues.

Decreased summer rainfall: Risk of drought. Green infrastructure may require irrigation.

Rising sea levels: Higher risk of coastal flooding and erosion due to a combination of storm surges, high tides and increasing average sea level.

Ground movement: Drier summers may increase the risk of subsidence and heave arising from shrinkage and swelling of soils, particularly clay. Ground stability issues may have implications for site allocation and building foundations.