Articles
Scaling up from local to regional: progress in mapping climate risk and vulnerability across the West Midlands for decision-making
Article number
1429_53
Pages
439 – 448
Language
English
Abstract
As the climate changes and urbanisation grows, there is an increasing need to ensure climate risk is addressed to protect citizens.
This paper presents progress in the methodological approach of combining disparate geospatial data to generate a holistic climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) map.
A CRVA map visualises the spatial characteristics of a region, helping decision-makers such as planners in local authorities to prioritise and target resources to areas most at-risk to the impacts of climate change.
This paper describes the co-development of a CRVA map for Birmingham City Council, and subsequent scaling of the approach for the West Midlands region.
The CRVA map outputs demonstrate i) the spatial variability in climate risk, and ii) how different underpinning factors can influence climate risk, to create the similar or differing CRVA scores.
In turn, the CRVA allows decision-makers to plan climate adaptation measures, such as selecting appropriate trees or vegetation as a nature-based solution for new or existing developments.
Moreover, the CRVA methodological approach was designed to support adaptation as an iterative process; enabling decision-makers to embed the process into business practices that build technical capacity and promotes monitoring and evaluating progress in reducing climate risk over time.
The CRVA mapping outputs for Birmingham are published by the local authority; the regional CRVA will be published by the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2024.
This paper presents progress in the methodological approach of combining disparate geospatial data to generate a holistic climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) map.
A CRVA map visualises the spatial characteristics of a region, helping decision-makers such as planners in local authorities to prioritise and target resources to areas most at-risk to the impacts of climate change.
This paper describes the co-development of a CRVA map for Birmingham City Council, and subsequent scaling of the approach for the West Midlands region.
The CRVA map outputs demonstrate i) the spatial variability in climate risk, and ii) how different underpinning factors can influence climate risk, to create the similar or differing CRVA scores.
In turn, the CRVA allows decision-makers to plan climate adaptation measures, such as selecting appropriate trees or vegetation as a nature-based solution for new or existing developments.
Moreover, the CRVA methodological approach was designed to support adaptation as an iterative process; enabling decision-makers to embed the process into business practices that build technical capacity and promotes monitoring and evaluating progress in reducing climate risk over time.
The CRVA mapping outputs for Birmingham are published by the local authority; the regional CRVA will be published by the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2024.
Authors
S.V. Greenham, E.J.S. Ferranti, N. Cork, S.A. Jones, J. Zhong, B. Haskins, N. Grayson, S. Needle, W.J.F. Acton, A.R. Mackenzie, W.J. Bloss
Keywords
climate change, climate risk and vulnerability, GIS, mapping, climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions
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