Climate Adaptation Framework for NHS organisations – Further Guidance
Key Climate Change and Adaptation Definitions
New to the field? Not sure what Climate Change and Adaptation mean to you? Here are some key definitions on climate change, the risks, and adaptation tailored towards a healthcare audience. Remember: more information and the resources produced during this project are open-source and available on weadapt under the tag #NHSadapts. Climate Change Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns such as average temperatures and the number of severe weather events such as storms. An increase in temperatures and severe weather events has been driven by human activities involving the burning of fossil fuels, thereby releasing greenhouse gases. Therefore ‘decarbonisation’, or work to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, is often the focus of sustainability work and policy. It is important to realise, however, that even with the best decarbonisation efforts, the UK will experience an increase in temperatures and consequentially an increase in frequency and intensity of severe weather events (or hazards ) because of the global warming we have already caused. Furthermore, even with existing global policies on decarbonisation (e.g., global and national net zero targets), global average temperatures are projected to rise to 2.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. This is likely to translate into impacts . Climate Hazards Climate hazards are the climate related events or conditions that can cause harm or damage to people and assets. Climate hazards we can expect in the UK as a result of Climate Change include: • More frequent and intense flooding of all types: • Flooding of mains causing backlog and flooding at sites. • Flash flooding (that occurs and ends very quickly, usually due to surface water drainage systems being overwhelmed during sudden and heavy rainfall). • Watercourses flooding from heavy rain. o Watercourses flooding from rising sea levels. • Burst pipes from excess water or from freeze-thaw events. • More severe events such as storm surges (which bring heavy rain and winds from out at sea) and thunderstorms. • More intense/prolonged heatwaves. • Longer periods of drought. It is worth noting that, although climate change is expected to reduce incidents of extreme cold weather in the UK, cold weather will still occur and continue to have an impact on health and wellbeing. There is also no clear evidence that climate change will lead to an increase in strong winds. However, strong winds will continue to impact on the NHS, especially through damage to premises. Without adaptation, the impacts of these events and their increasing frequency and intensity will be felt across many different sectors and geographies. It is important to recognise that people in
Authors: Sustainability West Midlands; Sniffer Partners: NHSE North East & Yorkshire, NHSE North West, NHS Greater Manchester
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