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Organisations: Natural Economy North West, Natural England, Northwest Regional Development Agency
Date: 2010
Evidence type: Policy
For three years Natural Economy Northwest has been at the heart of one of the most innovative regional programmes in England: a quest to identify, demonstrate and promote the economic value of the region's unrivalled natural environment. The Natural Ec...
Key Messages:
- Further into the future, the importance of food and energy security will increase as the UK moves towards a low-carbon economy. The Northwest's natural environment and its capacity to underpin and meet our needs are likely to prove vitally important in this process.
- Key message 1: Green infrastructure should be considered as a critical infrastructure. It needs to be planned, managed and invested in at different spatial scales as with any other critical infrastructure.
- Key message 2: Green infrastructure delivers 11 themed benefits for a multitude of stakeholders
- Key message 3: Natural environment projects must incorporate socio-economic outputs and outcomes to benefit society
- Key message 4: Grey infrastructure projects must integrate green infrastructure for enhanced benefits and sustainability
- Key message 5: Natural tourism is an important area of sustainable economic growth. The Northwest's stunning natural assets give it the potential to be a leader among the English regions
- Key message 6: Businesses can benefit from the natural environment, and business is part of the solution for sustainability
- Key message 7: We need to manage natural assets effectively in hard times to optimise the multifunctional benefits
- Key message 8: The natural economy is a unique selling point for Northwest England
Author(s): Nisbet, T., Orr, H. & Broadmeadow, S.
Organisations: Forest Research, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Lancaster University
Date: 2004
Evidence type: Research
Integrated land use planning and management can resolve sediment problems. Woodland can provide an effective solution. It is widely acknowledged that soils under woodland are generally well protected and are often improved (Forestry Commission, 1998).T...
Key Messages:
- Less than 1% of the observed bare ground was associated with woodland, confirming the advantages of woodland for soil protection and sediment control.
- Several woodland options for sediment control are discussed.
- Another important consideration was whether woodland was appropriate for a given location. This required an assessment of a range of possible constraints.
- Identification of where new woodland could best aid sediment control.
- A key need is to improve the synergy between woodland and agricultural grants as well as advisory services.
Organisation: The Wildlife Trusts
Date: 2008 - Present
Evidence type: Delivery
Wildlife needs our help. Climate change means many plants and animals may face extinction unless they are able to move in search of suitable conditions: a 2°C rise in temperature will shift the natural range of some species over 150 miles to the no...
Key Messages:
- Use the planning system to enhance biodiversity.
- Invest in landscape scale management and restoration.
- Tailor policy and practice for landscape scale restoration.
- Buy time: Address climate change.
- Seven living landscapes projects are identified in the North West.
Author(s): Richardson, D. & Jones, G.
Organisations: Natural Economy North West, Greater Manchester Biodiversity Project
Date: 2007 - 2009
Evidence type: Research
This is one in a series of reports produced between 2007 and 2009 within the Natural Economy Northwest (NENW) Programme. The main focus is to deliver priority action 113 in the Regional Economic Strategy, to optimise the natural environment's contribut...
Key Messages:
- The report highlights the benfits of green roofs.
- Any assessment of the performance of green roofs must consider their contribution to a wide range of ecosystem services and stress their multi-functionality.
- There are a number of recommendations to overcome constraints to green roof development (including high capital and maintenance costs, uncertainties concerning performance and appearance, and a lack of appropriate skills and expertise for green roof construction).
- It is recommended that new policy drivers and financial incentives will be necessary if a significant number of green roofs are to be brought forward in Greater Manchester in the short-to-medium term, particularly in urban regeneration areas, if the positive benefits of green roofs are to be realised.
- It is recommended that green roofs be promoted as an important mechanism for implementing a wide range of policies relating to sustainable development and green infrastructure.
- Most of the postulated benefits of green roofs (apart perhaps from energy efficiency) could also apply to green spaces at ground level.
- It is the ability of green roofs to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services that contributes most to their value.
- Three case studies in Greater Manchester are discussed: The Unicorn Grocery, Chorlton; Bridge-5 Mill, the Manchester Ennvironment Resource Centre; New offices for BDP Architects, Piccadilly.
Organisation: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Date: 2007
Evidence type: Policy
The Strategy aims to: • provide, in England, a resource of trees, woods and forests in places where they can contribute most in terms of environmental, economic and social benefits now and for future generations • ensure that existing and new...
Key Messages:
- Policies for communities and place.
- Policies for green infrastructure and a sense of place.
- Policies for land and the natural environment.
- Policies for working woodlands.
- Continuing activity and innovation within the twelve Community Forests and The National Forest is identified as an opportunity for action.
Organisation: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Date: 2008
Evidence type: Policy
A document detailing the UK's approach to integrated coastal zone management. The strategy promotes a holistic approach to coastal zone management In 2002, the European Parliament and Council adopted a Recommendation on implementing Integrated Coastal ...
Key Messages:
- Local Area Agreements simplify access to some central funding, help join up public services more effectively and allow greater flexibility for local solutions for local circumstances.
- Local area agreements case study - The Wash estuary.
- Objective: To ensure a consistent, joined-up approach to regional and local planning and decision making.
Organisation: Woodland Trust
Date: 2006
Evidence type: Research
The Woodland Trust believes that climate change is the biggest threat to the UK's native woodland. This booklet summarises for those actively engaged in climate change and environmental policy the complex interdependencies between forests and climate a...
Key Messages:
- Global deforestation accounts for 30 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions.
- Sequestration - forests as carbon sinks.
- Climate change will impact upon forest habitats and the species they support, by disrupting species life cycles, altering interactions between species, and necessitating species either adapt or move to more suitable climatic and habitat conditions.
- Experience overseas shows that when water catchements are denuded of their vegetation cover in winter through the intensification of land use, flash flooding and soil erosion are often the result.
- Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems allow the water to be collected in features where it can drain away naturally, while also adding to the visual interest and biodiversity value of urban areas.
- An adaptation strategy must be compiled.
Organisations: UK Climate Impacts Programme, Economic & Social Research Council, Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, Living with Environmental Change
Date: 2009 - Present
Evidence type: Research
ARCC brings together research projects involving existing buildings and infrastructure systems, including transport and water resource systems in the urban environment.
Key Messages:
- Adaptation and Resilience in Cities: Analysis and Decision making using Integrated Assessment (ARCADIA).
- ARCC-Water: Water System Resilience.
- Built Infrastructure for Older People in Conditions of Climate Change (BIOPICCC).
- Coincident Probabilistic climate change weather data for a Sustainable built Environment (COPSE).
- Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW).
- Design and delivery of robust hospital environments in a changing climate.
- The use of probabilistic climate scenarios in decision making for adaptation of building and property drainage (Design Of Water Networks using ProbabilistIc PrEdiction- DOWNPIPE).
- Future Resilient Transport Networks (FUTURENET).
- Decision support for building adaptation in a low-carbon climate change future (Low Carbon Future).
- The Development of a Local Urban Climate Model and its Application to the Intelligent Development of Cities (LUCID).
- The use of probabilistic climate data to future proof design decisions in the buildings sector (PROMETHEUS).
- The use of probabilistic climate scenarios in building environmental performance simulation (PROCLIMATION).
- Sustainable Cities: Options for Responding to Climate Change Impacts and Outcomes (SCORCHIO).
- Suburban neighbourhood adaptation for a changing climate: identifying effective, practical and acceptable means of suburban re-design (SNACC).
Author(s): Gill, S., Handley, J., Ennos, A., and Pauleit, S.
Organisation: University of Manchester
Part of ASCCUE
Date: 2007
Evidence type: Research
The urban environment has distinctive biophysical features in relation to surrounding rural areas. These include an altered energy exchange creating an urban heat island, and changes to hydrology such as increased surface runoff of rainwater. Such chan...
Key Messages:
- Urban greenspace has potential to help adapt cities for climate change, through the provision of cooler microclimates and reducing surface water run-off.
- Modelling showed that adding 10% green cover to areas with little green, such as town centres and high density residential areas, keeps maximum surface temperatures below 1961-1990 baseline temperatures up to (but not including) the 2080s High.
- Modelling suggested that adding green roofs to all buildings can have a dramatic effect reducing maximum surface temperatures.
- Modelling highlights that if green cover in high density residential areas and town centres is reduced by 10%, maximum surface temperatures will be 7-8 Degrees C warmer by the 2080s High (compared to the 1961-1990 baseline case).
- Without irrigation, the evaporative cooling effect of vegetation may be diminished during droughts. Trees will be important for continued shade provision, whilst water surfaces continue to provide evaporative cooling.
- Modelling showed that increasing green cover by 10% in residential areas reduces runoff from them by about 5% (this is for a 28mm precipitation event, an extreme event in the 2080s High).
- Modelling showed that adding green roofs to all the buildings in town centres, retail and high density residential areas significantly reduces runoff from these areas.
- Modelling showed that greenspace is most effective at reducing surface runoff on sandy, faster infiltrating soils.
- Modelling suggests that, whilst greenspace reduces surface runoff, especially at a local level, the increase in winter precipitation brought by climate change is such that runoff increases regardless of changes to surface cover.
- Adaptation strategies need to preserve and enhance exiting green infrastructure, and increase it where possible, especially taking opportunities in re-structuring and new developments to create significant new spaces.
Evidence type: Research
This paper was co-authored by Tom Butlin and Susannah Gill of The Mersey Forest team, and explores the potential for the landscape around cities to help them adapt to climate change
Organisation: Royal Commission Environmental Pollution
Date: 2010
Evidence type: Policy
This report is about moving institutions towards anticipatory, planned but flexible adaptation responses. It is hoped that it will stimulate a wide range of organisations to consider urgently and more thoroughly the potential implications of a changing...
Key Messages:
- One of the main constraints on adaptation is the absence of enabling mechanisms.
- The land use planning regime has a crucial role to play in promoting adaptation to climate change in all parts of the UK.
- Launched in 2003, ESPACE is a five-year project led by Hampshire County Council and funded by the European Commission's north-west Europe INTERREG IIIB Programme, the ESPACE Partnership and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
- The governance arrangements for water seek to achieve several aims, including:
- Case Study: The River Glaven and Catchment Sensitive Farming
- Flood risk management requires co-operation on the part of a number of authorities.
- The Environment Agency takes the lead on strategic coastal management, shoreline management plans and coastal risk management in England and Wales, and the nature conservation bodies in England, Wales and Scotland (Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage) have the remit for wildlife and habitat conservation in both coastal and marine sites.
- The underlying policy for nature conservation has gradually changed over the years but these changes have not been explicitly recognised in legislation. The original thinking focused on the concept of ‘natural beauty’ expressed in terms of scientific or aesthetic interest. Most recently the concept of ecosystem services has gained credence and nature conservation bodies have changed their agendas accordingly.
- Over recent years, nature conservation bodies have spent considerable time and money assessing the conservation status of their protected areas and taking action to improve and/or maintain that status.
- The Exmoor Mire Restoration Project
- The uneven distribution of the burdens of climate change is most devastating and most obvious at a global level, but it is also apparent at the national level. This distributional dimension of climate change is especially acute in respect of flooding and coastal erosion, although it may arise elsewhere, for example, in increased water scarcity or reduced access to blue or green space.
Organisation: House of Lords: European Union Select Committee
Date: 2010
Evidence type: Policy
The European Commission's White Paper on adapting to climate change, of April 2009, contains proposals for a co-ordinated EU approach intended to complement measures taken by and in Member States. An accompanying paper deals with the challenge for agri...
Key Messages:
- Adapting agriculture and forestry to climate change will be little more than an abstract aspiration unless governments turn policies into specific advice to farmers and foresters.
- The relationship of agriculture and forestry to climate change is not simply a reactive one; not only adaptation but also mitigation is an important issue.
- Changes in the availability of water will be a major determinant of future agricultural practice.
- Woodland creation and forestry in general should be seen as an important component of the land manager's toolkit to reduce soil erosion, to alleviate flooding and to improve water quality
- The White Paper identifies the integration of adaptation into EU policies as one of the components in Phase 1 of the adaptation framework proposed. It proposes the following actions to be taken in the period to 2013 by the EU and Member States:
- "Forest Protection and Information in the EU: Preparing forests for climate change"
- Afforestation could be part of the tool kit of farmers in adapting to climate change.
- Increasing levels of soil degradation might be one impact of climate change.
Organisations: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Cabinet Office, Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Department of Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Department of Children, Schools & Families, Department of Culture, Media & Sport, Department of Health (DoH), Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, Department of Transport, Department of Work & Pensions, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, HM Treasury, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice
Date: 2008
Evidence type: Policy
Even with concerted international action now, we are committed to continued global warming for decades to come If we build new homes, schools and hospitals now that can cope with the very high summer temperatures we can expect in 20 years time, this wi...
Key Messages:
- The Adapting to Climate Change Programme is in two phases: Phase 1, from 2008-2011 will lay the groundwork necessary to implement Phase 2 - a statutory National Adaptation Programme, as required by the Climate Change Bill.
- The foreword highlights that the natural environment needs attention, both to enable our wildlife and countryside to adapt and because innovative approaches to managing our natural environment can be part of our adaptation response.
- Several adaptation case studies are referenced in the document.
- Climate change will have both positive and negative impacts on every aspect of our economy, society and environment.
Organisations: London Climate Change Partnership, South East Climate Change Partnership, Sustainable Development Round Table for the East
Date: 2005
Evidence type: Delivery
Climate change is inevitable and the need to adapt to our changing climate is becoming more pressing, not just in the way we live, but in the way we build our new buildings. Consequently, this document's focus is on adapting development to climate chan...
Key Messages:
- Key issues to consider when climate proofing development: location.
- Key issues to consider when climate proofing development: site layout.
- Key issues to consider when climate proofing development: buildings.
- Key issues to consider when climate proofing development: drainage.
- Key issues to consider when climate proofing development: water.
- Key issues to consider when climate proofing development: outdoor spaces.
Organisation: Environment Agency
Evidence type: Policy
Climate change will make flooding more frequent and will increase the rate of coastal erosion. This document lists the risks of coastal erosion and details the adpatation measures employed by the Environment Agency.
Key Messages:
- The Environment Agency have developed a long term investment strategy for flood risk management.
- The Environment Agency have developed catchment flood management plans for the whole of England and Wales.
- The Environment Agency have produced Shoreline Management Plans for the coastline of England and Wales.
- The Environment Agency have developed strategies for many of our estuaries to reduce flood risk and foster the sustainable functioning of estuaries.
- The Environment Agency have tested the design and performance of all new flood and coastal risk management schemes against increased river flows and coastal extreme water levels to allow for climate change.
- The Environment Agency have sought to prevent inappropriate developments in areas at risk of flooding.
- The Environment Agency plan to manage the coastal environment into the future.
Author(s): Thomas, H. & Nisbet, T.
Organisation: Forest Research
Date: 2006
Evidence type: Research
A research paper which examines the potential role of floodplain woodland in flood alleviation. In theory, the presence of trees and associated woody debris on the floodplain increases the hydraulic roughness, thus slowing down flood flows and enhancin...
Key Messages:
- Softer engineering techniques which are based on the principle of impeding run-off from the land and river flows following an extreme rainfall event by providing areas of semi-permanent or permanent wetland to store flood water and delay the downstream passage of the flood peak are becoming more popular.
- The main mechanism whereby floodplain woodland could aid flood defence is by slowing the downstream passage of a flood peak, resulting in a lower but longer duration event.
- Case study - Parrett Catchment.
- Concern has been raised about the backing-up of floodwaters upstream of floodplain woodland, which could threaten propoerties in the immediate vicinity.
- Although it is very unlikely that floodplain woodland on its own would be able to provide complete protection for downstream towns or cities, it could make a valuable contribution alongside existing flood defences to tackling the increased risk of flooding associated with climate change.
Organisation: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Date: 2009
Evidence type: Policy
This Policy Statement sets out the principles that should guide decision making on the sustainable management of flood and coastal erosion risk in England. This Statement sets out why appraisal is necessary, and the principles and policies that should ...
Key Messages:
- Flooding and coastal erosion are natural processes with highly variable impacts across the country. Appraisal provides a structured approach for assessing the risk from flooding and coastal erosion.
- Appraisals fit into a strategic framework to link with other relevant planning initiatives.
- Flood and coastal erosion risk management activity should support Government policy on agriculture, biodiversity, landscape, rural development, and forestry where possible.
Organisation: 4NW
Date: 2008
Evidence type: Research
A study investigating the potential carbon savings that could be achieved by the North West and its five sub-regions (Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside) by 2020. This study corresponds to one of the actions...
Key Messages:
- Potential carbon savings: Implementation of national and international policies (as described in the Energy White Paper, 2007).
- Potential carbon savings: Existing and planned regional measures.
- Potential carbon savings: Possible additional measures.
- According to our carbon savings estimates and the baseline carbon trajectories calculated in the North West Emission Inventory, the region may not be able to meet the UK interim target of 26% reduction by 2020 if exisitng measures only deliver the lower end of expected savings.
Organisations: Environment Agency, Local Government Association, UK Climate Impacts Programme
Date: 2008
Evidence type: Policy
This guide has been produced to encourage local authorities to assess the risks posed by climate change and ensure that adaptation strategies are planned into local government working.
Key Messages:
- Local authorities have enormous potential to address climate change impacts, through their functions as transport and planning authorities, through other service delivery such as building control, community care providers, waste, housing, environmental health and trading standards, and as providers of green space.
- Put in place plans to enhance the quantity and the quality of green space/ green infrastructure through measures including masterplanning, street level management and parks management.
- To protect biodiversity incorporate green infrastructure into development plans.
Author(s): Lafortezza, R., Carrus, G., Sanesi, G. & Davies, C.
Organisation: Journal of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
Date: 2009
Evidence type: Research
In urban environments, green spaces have proven to act as ameliorating factors of some climatic features related to heat stress, reducing their effects and providing comfortable outdoor settings for people. This paper presents results of a study conduc...
Key Messages:
- In the city, green spaces have proven to act as correcting factors of specific climatic features like air temperature exchange, smoothing or reducing their effects and providing better thermal comfort.
- In terms of climate change, this research has demonstrated that green spaces have a demonstrable beneficial impact on human well-being.
Organisation: Senate Department for Urban Development, Berlin
Date: 2005 - Present
Evidence type: Delivery
The Environmental Atlas is a presentation of nearly 500 maps, text and figures for about 80 environmental topics. Topics include soil, water, air, climate, biotopes, land use, traffic, noise and energy.The maps focus on pollution and dangers emanating ...
Key Messages:
- The 'climate function' map for Berlin combines a green and open space inventory, settlement areas, traffic related air pollution, and air exchanges. This is then translated into a 'planning advice for urban climate' map which has the facts relevant to planning.
- There are a number of maps relating to the 'water' topic.
- There are a number of maps relating to the 'biotopes' topic.
Organisations: Joint Nature Conservation committee, Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage
Date: 2010
Evidence type: Research
Climate change affects biodiversity in many ways. Impacts on species include changes in distribution and abundance, the timing of seasonal events and habitat use and, as a consequence there are likely to be changes in the composition of plant and anima...
Key Messages:
- Biodiversity has an important role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
- Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems
- Marine and Coastal Ecosystems
- Analysis of distribution data for a range of vertebrate (e.g. amphibians, freshwater fish and mammals) and invertebrate groups (e.g. damselflies, spiders and millipedes) has shown range extension northward and uphill in Britain over approximately 25 years in response to the changing climate.
- Some plant species are increasing in range in the UK, in ways consistent with climate change, particularly short-lived pioneer species (such as prickly lettuce, Lactuca serriola and annual mercury, Mercurialis annua) associated with urban habitats and the transport network.
- There is increasing evidence for changes in the timing of many natural events which are closely correlated with changing temperature.
- In compiling the evidence of climate change impacts, important ecological principles emerge for conserving biodiversity in a changing climate. Firstly, diverse biological communities are more likely to adapt to climate change and climate variability than impoverished ones
Author(s): URBED, Oxford, M., English Nature & Green, C.
Organisations: Town and Country Planning Association, Urbed
Date: 2004
Evidence type: Policy
Supporting a richness of biodiversity is one route to building more sustainable neighbourhoods. The TCPA, in this the first of its 'By Design' Guides, therefore, sets out practical, design led solutions which can be implemented now.UK case studies have...
Key Messages:
- Vegetation can deliver a range of important ecological services.
- There is a strong case for biodiversity to be designed into new developments to offset climate change effects.
- Existing green infrastructure within urban areas can also be enhanced to deliver ecological services.
- In order to reduce car dependency urban housing is increasingly likely to incorporate clearly defined pedestrian routes, cycle routes and public transport corridors.
- Sealed surfaces can reduce soil moisture and, as is increasingly the case in the UK, leave low lying areas susceptible to flooding from excessive run-off. There may therefore be the opportunity to create Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), which can function as wetland habitats.
- Street trees make cities more liveable, particularly important given an increasing preference for flats and higher density housing.
Organisations: Forestry Commission, Environment Agency
Date: 2010
Evidence type: Delivery
A groundbreaking project by the Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency is underway at the 340ha Bishop Wood, near Cawood, to dam drainage ditches. The project will allow rain water to be retained for longer in the ancient woodland site rather t...
Key Messages:
- The project will allow rain water to be retained for longer in the ancient woodland site rather than quickly flowing downstream into the Selby Dam, a tributary of the River Ouse.
- Re-wetting the wood will boost biodiversity and over time more oak and alder will take root, both classical wet woodland species.
Organisations: Natural England, Alterra, Conservatoire du Littoral, Environment Agency, Environmental Change Institute, Hampshire County Council, Kent County Council, Provincie Limburg, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Date: 2009
Evidence type: Research
Biodiversity must adapt to climate change. For many habitats and species, this will be difficult because the landscape across Europe is fragmented and past decisions limit the opportunities for adaptation. Spatial planners must act now to create a land...
Key Messages:
- Planning has been slow to provide for adaptation to climate change because of: the low profile of biodiversity; uncertainties about the likely impact of climate change and how best to intervene; and no clear vision, strategy or programme of delivery.
- Models show that intertidal coastal habitats will decline everywhere in Europe if the policy of 'holding the line' of existing sea defences continues.
- BRANCH results show that species become more vulnerable the greater the change in climate.
- The report contains recommendations for Europe to help species adapt to climate change.
- The beneficial coastal protection that some habitats provide may be reduced. For example, in the UK because saltmarsh dissipates wave energy, its loss will increase the pressure on coastal defence structures.
- 5 Key recommendations for European policy leadership.
Organisation: City of London Corporation
Date: 2010
Evidence type: Research
Woodland and wildlife at Burnham Beeches could become more susceptible to periods of drought, according to a new study on climate change published by the City of London Corporation.
Key Messages:
- Experts from the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, working closely with nature reserve staff at Burnham Beeches, have warned that although the ancient woodland's famous beech trees may still be able to grow in future they could become increasingly threatened by reduced levels of rainfall (up to a 50% decrease in mean summer rainfall).
- The research also shows that under a 3.2 degree C increase in global mean temperature, projected for 2080, a number of beech woodland species could lose all or over 90% of their suitable climate space in the region.
- In the future the site could be dominated by smaller, scrubby species of tree that are better suited to the changed climate.
Organisations: Local Food, Sustain, Greater London Authority
Evidence type: Delivery
The Capital Growth campaign offers practical advice and support to communities around London, helping people get access to land and create successful food growing spaces. In the initial phase of Capital Growth (November '08-March '09) financial support...
Key Messages:
- Londoners have a strong interest and heritage in food growing.
- Capital Growth support schemes.
- Capital Growth for Schools.
Author(s): Milne, R. & Brown, T.
Organisations: Journal of Environmental Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology
Date: 1997
Evidence type: Research
The total amount of carbon held by vegetation in Great Britain is estimated to be 114 Mtonnes. Woodlands and forests hold 80% of the G.B. total although they occupy only about 11% of the rural land area. Broadleaf species hold about 50% of the carbon i...
Key Messages:
- Soils contain much more carbon than vegetation.
- Changes in land use due to new government policies and schemes, e.g. set aside, may result in particular places becoming significant sources or sinks for carbon.
- Woodlands and forests hold 80% of the Great Britain total although they occupy only about 11% of the rural land area. Broadleaf species hold about 50% of the carbon in woodlands and forests.
Organisations: Willerby Landscapes, Building Design Partnership, Grosvenor
Date: 2000 - 2008
Evidence type: Delivery
Chavasse park is a 2.2ha park attatched to the Liverpool 1 development. the park undulates, and rises up from 6.5m to 18m above sea level. The park is privately managed, and is part funded by the car park on which it sits.
Key Messages:
- To prevent flooding of the car park located underneath the park, slow percolation is encouraged.
- Since evapotranspiration reduces in times of drought, the park has been designed to attenuate rainwater onsite.
Date: 2005
Evidence type: Delivery
Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천) is a nearly 6 km long, modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic developm...
Key Messages:
- Creating the environment with clean water and natural habitats was the most significant achievement of the restoration. Species of fish, birds, and insects have increased significantly as a result of the stream excavation.
- The stream helps to cool down the temperature on the nearby areas by 3.6 degrees C on average versus other parts of Seoul.
- The number of vehicles entering downtown Seoul has shown a decrease of 2.3%, with an increasing number of users of buses (by 1.4%) and subways (by 4.3% - daily average of 430,000 people) as a result of the demolition of the two high-used roads. This supposedly has a positive influence by improving the atmospheric environment in the region.
