Working
with Nature and Climate Change
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Another of PIANC’s strategic objectives for 2010 – 2014 is
concerned with climate change mitigation and adaptation. More information on PIANC’s climate change
activities can be found by clicking here. Working with Nature has a potentially important role as a tool in helping to
facilitate effective climate change adaptation. Adopting the approach indicated in the
steps shown above should both: -
help to ensure understanding of the
implications of changes in temperature, precipitation, sea level, etc. for
the natural environment; and -
allow the user to ‘climate proof’
future navigation infrastructure: ‘Doing
things in a different order’ as suggested by Working with Nature therefore provides an ideal opportunity to
build climate change projections into the project planning and design -
identifying opportunities to reduce the vulnerability of natural ecosystems
and improve their resilience at the same time as realising navigation
infrastructure objectives. Climate
change adaptation solutions can be achieved by incorporating the
considerations shown in italics
below. |
1. Establish project need and objectives
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Include an objective to ‘climate proof’ the development’ (i.e. to
reduce vulnerability, and to increase resilience to the effects of climate
change). |
2. Understand the environment
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Understand and incorporate relevant climate change projections – both how
climate change will be manifested in terms of changes in high or low flow,
water temperature increases, etc. and – importantly – how ecosystems are
likely to respond. The latter
understanding should include both adverse and beneficial impacts of climate
change on the natural environment. |
3. Make meaningful use of stakeholder engagement; identify win-win options
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Consider what is needed to adapt to climate change both from a
technical specification and from a nature perspective, for example, seeking
to protect vulnerable habitats or to deliver positive ecosystem outcomes. |
4. Prepare project proposals/design to benefit navigation and nature
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Design a project which helps to improve the resilience and/or reduce the
vulnerability of both navigation and nature. |
Working with Nature – Introduction
Working
with Nature Activities
Working with Nature – Position Paper