We've all heard about Net Zero – but what about climate adaptation? Climate adaptation is action that protects us against the impacts of climate change, both now and in the future. Alongside the need to reduce emissions to limit climate change, we also need to consider our response to the changes we are already seeing and can expect to see in the future. The 40°C heatwave experienced last summer (an event which would have been virtually impossible without climate change) is just one example of an extreme weather event we must prepare for.
On 17th July, the Defra-led National Adaptation Programme (NAP) was launched. NAP3 sets out a 5-year programme of action to build the UK's resilience to climate change. It is part of the statutory process set out under the Climate Change Act, 2008.
Met Office science has played a vital role in informing NAP3, with the provision of robust and actionable science to help inform adaptation action.
What is the NAP3?
The Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) includes strengthened and new commitments to respond to the 61 risks and opportunities identified in the UK's Third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3). Examples of the 61 risks and opportunities include 'risks to people, buildings and communities from flooding' and 'opportunities to UK food imports or exports due to global climate change'. However, the CCRA identified many more risks than opportunities and called for greater action on climate adaptation.
NAP3 sets out the government's approach to adaptation action. It includes a vision for a well-adapted UK as "a country that effectively plans for and is fully adapted to the changing climate, with resilience against each of the identified climate risks". Defra described NAP3 as a step-change in approach towards action on addressing climate risks.
To respond to the changing climate, NAP3 outlines how the government plans to protect infrastructure, promote a greener economy, and ensure resilient food production. Announcements made in NAP3 include a £15 million programme to support research and skills for adaptation action, alongside existing commitments such as a £5.2 billion investment for flood and coastal schemes in England. Looking internationally for the first time, NAP3 also extended support to vulnerable communities worldwide, with a commitment to tripling adaptation funding through official development assistance to £1.5 billion by 2025.
What role does the Met Office play in supporting NAP3?
To mark the launch of NAP3, Minister Harrison (Defra, Environment and Land Use) visited the Met Office to discuss how Met Office science supports NAP3.
Met Office Chief Executive Penny Endersby with Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use Trudy Harrison from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to discuss how we can support NAP3 with the best evidence. Image: Crown Copyright.
The UK Climate Projections (UKCP) produced by the Met Office on behalf of government, provide a set of tools and data showing how the UK climate is changing, and may change in the future. The UKCP projections were a key source of information for both the third CCRA and NAP3, providing evidence on climate hazards at 2°C and 4°C of warming.
Met Office scientists also provided bespoke support to numerous government departments to explore some of the 61 risks and opportunities in more detail.
For the built environment sector, Met Office scientists worked with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to understand the risks of overheating and flooding in prisons across the country, working with the Environment Agency and MoJ to update its climate change risk assessment to understand how its operations would be impacted by climate change. For the infrastructure sector, Met Office scientists are working with Network Rail on research to understand and predict the risk of soil earthwork failures. The work is contributing to recommendations made in the Slingo reports, following a fatal derailment.
For the natural environment sector, work is ongoing between the Met Office agri-food resilience service and Defra's crop breeding research programme - the Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs). This work explores the use of genetic technology as an adaptation measure, by developing new varieties of crops that are resilient to the hazards of the future UK climate.
Looking further ahead, NAP3 highlights governments ambition to increase access and usability of climate information. One tool achieving this, launched in June 2023, is the Met Office Climate Data Portal launched last month built using geospatial technology from Esri UK. The free resources make it easier for businesses or government organisations to combine open climate data with their own data and reveal the future impact of extreme conditions on their operations, including heatwaves, floods or droughts.
Based on this underpinning functionality, NAP3 included an announcement for a one-year pilot for a dedicated Local Authority Climate Service which will provide easy access to localised climate data. Building on previous Met Office-led work, including 'city packs' developed through UK Research and Innovation, the service will help local authorities and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) plan adaptation by informing them about hazards such as increased heavy rainfall patterns and extreme heat.
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