Wales climate change policy

 

The National Assembly for Wales is committed to working with the UK Government, the other devolved administrations, the statutory, voluntary sector and business partners in Wales, and the community at large to tackle the threat of climate change. The Welsh Assembly Government recognises that climate change is one of the most important issues facing the world at the beginning of the 21st Century and it is committed to playing its part in developing and delivering a climate change programme which meets the Kyoto target and moves the UK towards its domestic goal of a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. The Environment Strategy for Wales and its accompanying action plan provide details of further actions to be taken to address climate change.

The Assembly does not underestimate the size of this challenge. It is aware of the problems facing Wales and the rest of the UK if action is not taken to deal with the causes of climate change – views reinforced by recent weather events. But it cannot operate alone. Its contribution will build on the partnerships that it has developed with business, local government, the Environment Agency, and the voluntary sector, with action being taken on the basis of who does what best.

Adapting to climate change

One of the most likely effects to which Wales will have to adapt in the future is sea level rise. Current projections estimate that around the Welsh coast, increases will be in the range of 25 to 30 cm by 2050, slightly more in the south than the north. An allowance of 5 mm per annum over the life of a scheme is now built into all new coastal defences where appropriate, or otherwise the defences are constructed to enable increases in height to be incorporated in the future.

The Welsh coastline is also expected to be subject to increased storminess. As well as increasing the risk of flooding of low-lying areas, such events will increase the rates of erosion of the higher ground. This will be especially so where the coastline is composed of softer materials but this is likely to be limited as much of the Welsh coastline is composed of relatively hard rock.

Beyond the life of coastal protection schemes being built now, which are assumed to have a working life of around 50 years, reducing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion by building larger and higher defences may not be sustainable. More radical measures may be needed and, in part to address this issue, Shoreline Management Plans are being prepared for the Welsh coastline. These will help to identify those lengths of coastline where it may not be sustainable to defend. This policy is likely to be most effective where plans can be made for the long term future, where just allowing nature to take its course and retreating the defended line may be the most appropriate option. By undertaking these plans, those responsible for land use planning will be able to avoid new development in "at risk" areas. Local authorities and land owners will be able to plan for the future knowing what are the most likely scenarios. Shoreline Management Plans will be reviewed regularly by local authorities to ensure that the latest information on climate change is used in the decision making process.

While there are predictions of increases in inland rainfall over winter months, the effect of extreme weather conditions that lead to flooding is uncertain. At present, no allowances are being made for increased fluvial flooding, but the National Assembly’s High Level Targets require a start to be made on Catchment Flood Defence Management Plans, intended to be the fluvial counterparts of Shoreline Management Plans. These will enable land use planners to avoid development in the most vulnerable flood plain areas.

In Wales, increased rainfall could also have an effect on land stability. There are numerous relict landslips left after the last glaciation, many of which are active or only marginally stable. Research has been undertaken to enable an assessment to be made of the potential for landslipping in the South Wales coalfield valleys.

Land Use

The potential effects of climate change must be considered and built into all aspects of the planning process so that it is sufficiently responsive to cope with the impacts of change as they arise. Climate change considerations will therefore need to be more fully integrated into the Assembly’s land use planning guidance. Current land use planning policy is contained in Planning Policy Wales which provides the strategic policy framework for the effective preparation of local planning authorities’ development plans. This is supplemented by 20 topic based Technical Advice Notes (Wales) (TANs). Those which cover topics of particular relevance to climate change are TAN(W)14, coastal protection, which provides technical guidance on coastal flood risk and coastal defences, and TAN(W)15, development and flood risk. A TAN on planning pollution control and waste management is in preparation. Following the review of planning policy guidance, the technical guidance contained in TANs is to be revised to reflect changes to the policy document and the effects of climate change. The Assembly is also committed to the preparation of a new national spatial planning framework for planning, setting a clear context for sustainable development and environmental quality.