'Adaptation' to climate change is the process of identifying, understanding, evaluating and responding to the potential risks and impacts of climate change. Whilst 'mitigation' seeks to reduce CO2 emissions and therefore lessen the human influence on changes to our climate, 'adaptation' focuses on how we cope with the impacts of climate change. 

 

Whilst it is very difficult to state categorically that each extreme weather event we experience today and in the decades to come is as a direct result of increasing CO2 emissions, the strongest evidence suggests that an increased frequency and intensity of these events is very likely and is associated with the rise in CO2 emitted by human development. 

 

Throughout history, Cumbria has experienced extreme weather events, be they intense periods of rainfall and associated flooding, prolonged droughts, damaging storm force winds or disruptive heavy snows, for example. Most recently, the floods of November 2009 and 2005 have reminded local people just how devastating the impacts of these events can be.

 

In the light of these experiences, we need to be able to assess how vulnerable our homes, our services, our businesses and our livelihoods will be to future events. We also need to know how the predictions for climate change in Cumbria will affect the frequency and potency of these extreme weather events. Whilst long, hot, dry summers may attract more tourists and increase takings, such summers may also lead to an increase in respiratory illnesses amongst the elderly, stress on our health services and a decrease in productivity in the workforce. Meanwhile, repeated flooding lends itself not only to increased costs and difficulties in insuring property, but also to psychological trauma to those who are repeatedly displaced from their home. 

 

It is therefore the responsibility of all CSP organisations to begin looking at the evidence and undertaking risk assessments of the potential impacts of climate change to their services, property and staff resources. For many organisations, these can be integrated into their Business Continuity Plans and Service Plans.

 

The Cumbria Local Impacts Profile is simply the first step in this process. It aims to increase awareness amongst partners and the public as to the variety of impacts of extreme weather events and alert them as to the potential threats of climate change.

 

This 'portrait' of Cumbria paints a realistic picture of how significant these impacts can be. Partners are advised to follow the links to www.ukcip.org.uk to access more support on producing their own risk assessments.