ESPACE: European Spatial Planning Adapting to Climate Events – Developing a Knowledge and Information Base

Draft Final Report

Prepared for

Hampshire County Council

by

Land Use Consultants

in association with

Royal Haskoning

and

Institut für Stadtplanung und Staedtebau, University Duisburg-Essen

June 2004

43 Chalton Street

London NW1 1JD

Tel: 020 7383 5784

Fax: 020 7383 4798

executive summary

Introduction

1.The ESPACE project aims to ensure that adaptation to climate change is recognised and to recommend that it is incorporated within spatial planning mechanisms at the local, regional, national and European levels. This first stage of work is to set out a broad ‘information and knowledge base’ to underpin the project.

2.The four countries represented in the ESPACE project are Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

3.The research has been undertaken by Land Use Consultants, in association with Royal Haskoning and Institut für Stadtplanung und Staedtebau, University Duisburg-Essen.

Aims of the research

  1. To identify climate change terminology used in partner countries and provide common definitions and clarification (i.e. glossary) to be used by all partners. The definitions will be in English and will refer to the relevant words in Dutch and German.
  2. To identify and compare the different approaches to developing climate change scenarios in partner countries.
  3. To review and provide a summary of the climate change impacts that have been identified for each major sector (environment, economic and social) by each partner country.
  4. To review and provide an analysis of the differences in quality and quantity of available information on mitigation and adaptation to climate change in partner countries.
  5. To identify existing spatial planning networks which influence spatial planning with regard to climate change in each partner country.
  6. To provide an analysis of how these existing spatial planning regimes/ networks operate in each partner country and recommendations on how best to influence them.

Overview of approaches by partner countries

Belgium

4.Belgium is not particularly well advanced in its approach to addressing climate change. Scenario development and modelling to understand how climate is likely to change is at an early stage. However, work is underway to develop a regional climate model.

5.Climate change mitigation policy is developing, but Belgium is not on course to meet its share of EU emissions targets, which suggests that mitigation policy needs to be strengthened.

6.Similarly, the approach taken to identifying impacts and adaptation responses is not as advanced as in the other three countries represented in the ESPACE project. However, spatial planning is contributing to adaptation with respect to biodiversity. Belgium also has some strong policies in place to respond to flood risk, but as yet these do not take into account increased risks posed by climate change. Overall climate change research is under funded which appears to reflect that climate change is currently not high on the political agenda.

Germany

7.Germany is well advanced in addressing climate change, with a centrally organised programme to coordinate modelling and mitigation work and a number of world renowned research institutions. A good understanding has been developed of how its climate is likely to change. It is at the forefront of mitigation activity, with some measures in place which have received international attention. Germany consequently is on course to meet its share of EU emissions targets.

8.Mitigation policy is perhaps more advanced than adaptation policy, but this balance is being addressed. Impacts research and adaptation policy is moving forward at the Federal State level. However, there is a recognised need to improve coordination at the Federal level.

9.German institutions’ understanding of climate change is feeding into a range of integrated ‘action-oriented’ studies across the Federal States, to identify impacts and develop adaptation responses, particularly in relation to fluvial flood risk and sea level rise. Spatial planning currently focuses on adaptation in these areas.

10.Work is underway to join-up the various impact identification and adaptation initiatives underway across the Federal States, and to broaden the impact and adaptation research agenda in Germany (e.g. through the establishment of a German Climate Research Programme). A broader research base is essential to widen Germany’s adaptation responses to climate change.

The Netherlands

11.The Netherlands is making good progress in responding to climate change. Most activity is coordinated at the national level across a number of ministries, led by the Netherlands Ministry of Spatial Planning, Housing and the Environment.

12.Modelling to understand how climate will change is well advanced, although until recently links have been weak between scientists and decision-makers. This is changing as the two groups work closer together to understand how science can best be used to inform decision making.

13.In terms of mitigation policy, the Netherlands Government is demonstrating a commitment to meeting emissions targets and has developed a wide ranging package of measures. However, figures show the country is currently set to overshoot its share of EU emissions, which means it may need to implement the ‘reserve’ and/or ‘innovation’ measures that have been prepared in order to keep it on course.

14.Much research on climate change impacts and adaptation measures focuses on flood risk and sea level rise, and also the impacts of dry periods on dykes. This research is very much feeding into adaptation responses. Spatial planning in the Netherlands is important for implementing adaptation responses e.g. through allocating space in land use plans for natural flooding of water courses. It is also addressing implications for biodiversity. Nevertheless, research into other impacts and responses has and continues to take place. Research is currently underway which will inform spatial planning with regard to a wide range of climate change impacts than is currently the case.

UK

15.The UK has developed a clear and well focussed response to climate change. The response is coordinated by central Government, and guidance and information on climate change scenarios and impact identification and adaptation is made available by a central organisation set up by Government. This system ensures that information is available to a wide range of decision makers.

16.Scenario work to understand how climate in the UK will change is well developed, and information is made available to decision makers through an easy to use website and range of guidance materials. Researchers in the UK are also developing tools to understand very localised climate changes.

17.The UK is on course to meet its share of EU emissions targets, which suggests that the UK’s package of mitigation measures is proving effective. The UK has introduced some far reaching measures ahead of EU requirements to do so (e.g. an emissions trading scheme).

18.Impact and adaptation research in the UK is taking place through regional Climate Change Partnerships and covers a broad spectrum of issues. A wide range of sectoral research at the national level has also been undertaken. Research is increasingly addressing the implications of climate change for spatial planning.

19.Much research into adaptation is feeding into policy. There is a clear recognition that spatial planning is a vital tool for delivering climate change adaptation. Planning policy sets out a number of requirements for spatial plans to address climate change, although, with the exception of flood risk, these requirements are very general. It is therefore not always clear what the specific response should be. Several actions are underway to improve delivery of adaptation through spatial planning to improve this situation. Regional scoping studies are also informing action by a range of players at the regional level.

Summary comparison of approaches

20.Overall Germany, the Netherlands and the UK have demonstrably more advanced approaches to addressing climate change than Belgium. This reflects Government commitment and provision of sufficient funding for research.

21.Germany, the Netherlands and the UK all have a good understanding of how climate will change. In Belgium a regional model is being developed, but data is currently only available at a course resolution. The means by which information is used to inform decision making varies. In Germany little information is widely available, but it is fed into strong ‘action-orientated’ research, which will ultimately inform decision making. In the UK data is widely available and tools are provided to inform use by decision makers. However, there is a need to ensure that use is actually made of the data to inform actions. In the Netherlands links between scientists and decision makers are currently being developed.

22.In all countries mitigation policy is generally more advanced than adaptation policy, primarily because global and EU targets are in place which must be met. Therefore the ESPACE partner counties are implementing legislative and fiscal measures, as well as ‘voluntary’ measures to achieve mitigation. In contrast the approach to adaptation rests more heavily on guidance and encouragement to act on the part of a range of players, including public authorities, businesses and the general public.

23.The UK perhaps takes the broadest approach to identifying impacts and developing adaptation responses, addressing a wide range of sectors and impacts. The approach in Germany and the Netherlands is far more focussed on responding to flood risk and coastal sea level rise.

24.However, efforts are underway in both Germany and the Netherlands to widen the research base. The Netherlands and the UK are arguably the most forward looking countries in terms of developing the role of spatial planning in delivering adaptation.

25.Overall the ESPACE partner countries can learn from each others approaches. For example, the UK can learn from the innovative policies in place in the other partner countries for addressing flood risk. A series of recommendations for how ESPACE can improve the way spatial planning addresses climate change adaptation have been developed. These seek to address the strengths and weaknesses identified in each country’s approach and ensure best practice is disseminated across the four countries.

Recommendations TO IMPROVE HOW SPATIAL PLANNING ADDRESSES CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION[1]

Belgium

  • Priority BEL 1: Establish dialogue on climate change adaptation and spatial planning at the national and regional level
  • Priority BEL 2: Develop and disseminate the information base to inform understanding of likely impacts of climate change relevant to spatial planning and potential adaptation responses
  • Priority BEL 3: Work with the Regional Administrations for Spatial Planning and Housing to guide considerations of climate change in regional and lower level plans.

Germany

  • Priority GER 1: Establish dialogue on climate change adaptation and spatial planning at the Federal (national) level
  • Priority GER 2: Develop and disseminate the information base to inform understanding of likely impacts of climate change relevant to spatial planning and potential adaptation responses
  • Priority GER 3: Establish closer coordination between water management and spatial planning
  • Priority GER 4: Promote sustainable water resource and flood risk management across all Federal States
  • Priority GER 5: Develop guidance for adapting to climate change at the Federal State level.

Netherlands

  • Priority NETH 1: Strengthen the requirement set out at the national level for lower level spatial plans to integrate climate change considerations
  • Priority NETH 2: Seek to influence the agenda for implementation of the National Spatial Plan in terms of priority actions
  • Priority NETH 3: Ensure local level planning fully takes on board the need to deliver climate change adaptation measures
  • Priority NETH 4: Influence research priorities/follow up findings of research to ensure that relevant information is provided to identify potential adaptation responses and that recommendations are built into spatial planning
  • Priority NETH 5: Improve integration of the policies of key Ministries in relation to climate change adaptation.

England

  • Priority ENG 1: Promote a more integrated approach to urban design that incorporates climate change adaptation
  • Priority ENG 2: Promote a better consideration of planning for water resource management and water supply infrastructure
  • Priority ENG 3: Promote more innovative approaches to flood risk management e.g. through natural storage of flood waters
  • Priority ENG 4: Encourage closer coordination between the work of ODPM and Defra towards climate change adaptation
  • Priority ENG 5: Develop guidance for adapting to climate change in regional planning
  • Priority ENG 6: Monitor current and emerging initiatives and research on climate change adaptation and seek to engage with these activities.

Overarching priorities

  • Priority OP 1: Build mechanisms for addressing risk uncertainty in decisions making into guidance and other material produced through the ESPACE project
  • Priority OP 2: Undertake further detailed research to compare approaches to planning for flood risk in the four countries in order to identify and disseminate best practice examples.
  • Priority OP 3: Promote climate change adaptation as part of a more holistic approach to spatial planning and urban design
  • Priority OP 4: Engage with key ministries involved in spatial planning to discuss the format of guidance material they would like to see produced by the ESPACE project i.e. country specific or generic guidance and topic coverage
  • Priority OP 5: Work with Government ministries to ensure that Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) required by Directive 2001/42/EC is implemented in such a way that it helps to deliver climate change adaptation
  • Priority OP 6: Promote building standards that reinforce spatial planning objectives.

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contents

Executive summary......

1.Introduction

2.Comparison of approaches to developing climate change scenarios......

3.Comparison of approaches to climate change mitigation

4.Identification of climate change impacts

5.Comparison of approaches to climate change adaptation

6.Overview of spatial planning systems

7.Current contributions of spatial planning to climate change adaptation

8.Current actions to improve spatial planning & climate change adaptation

9.Recommended priorities for influencing the delivery of adaptation measures through spatial planning

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[1] N.b. full details of each priority are contained in the main report, setting out a justification for the priority and the means to achieve the priority.