Develop your own coastal adaptation strategy by learning key methodologies and techniques.
The IMCORE project ran from 2008 to 2011 and was funded under the EU Interreg IVB programme.
VIDEO: Rhoda Ballinger, from Cardiff University, explains the complexity of the Severn Estuary
Education Pack "Adapting to Climate Change in Wales"
Research Advisory Group reports (SECCRAG)
Summary of the Severn Estuary Scenarios
Results from Delphi Survey
Access or download overviews, tools, techniques and examples of visualisation tools, educational tools, legal and policy tools, future scenario techniques, etc
Practical tips for following the IMCORE approach to planning to adapt to coastal climate change
The Expert Couplet developed well and the IMCORE programme evolved to provide a useful output to the Severn Estuary community. The IMCORE process on the Severn also enabled key current (local authority planners) and future stakeholders (school children) around the estuary to learn more about climate change and to question their ideas and develop a better understanding about climate change adaptation.
Through this, previous and other INTERREG projects (e.g. DeltaNet) a symbiotic relationship between both partners of the Expert Couplet has evolved. Clear benefits for both partners are recognized and valued by both parties. Such benefits are reviewed and tabulated regularly (see box below). However, there have been issues associated with staff turnover within SEP which have hampered the full development of the Expert Couplet. The economic predicament of local councils and associated restrictions has also hindered the development of some elements of the relationship and programme.
The Severn Estuary Expert Couplet: Severn Estuary Partnership & Cardiff University Benefits
University benefits
The Severn Estuary Partnership:
The University:
As a result of discussions within the Severn Estuary Expert Couplet (Cardiff University and the Severn Estuary Partnership), particularly within the SEP Working Group we agreed that the INTERREG IVB IMCORE project on the Severn Estuary should focus on climate change adaptation for local planning authorities and should have a strong education element. The particular interest in planning authorities was due to the recognition of the important role of these bodies in guiding future land use and development decisions. The previous INTERREG IIIB COREPOINT project had highlighted the potential for increased flood risk on the low-lying and potentially vulnerable shores of the estuary (Sections 1.3 and 1.4). The local planning authority focus also reflected the wider IMCORE project's focus at the local government level. The decision to concentrate on education grew out of a clear recognition of the importance of raising awareness of climate change science and adaptation options in local school children, particularly as they are tomorrow's decision makers and will also have to live and cope with the implications of today's planning decisions.
The Severn Estuary IMCORE focus
On the Severn Estuary the aims of the project were:
• Increasing awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation options
• Encouraging joint working and improved interaction between scientists and policy makers
• Informing and developing guidelines to assist with the identification of adaptation options
These aims reflect issues previously identified associated with context for climate change adaptation on the Severn Estuary (Section 1.3), notably those associated with:
The main work streams and outputs are shown in the image above with the main components of the IMCORE Severn programme relating to these aims briefly outlined below.
Increasing awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation options
This was achieved by:
1. Enhancing and better communicating the science base on climate change for estuary planning and management.
o The identification of climate change issues and has been achieved through the development of the:
o The production and dissemination of simplified versions of climate change science and impacts has been achieved through widely publicising and disseminating the following to key stakeholders:
2. Developing dissemination materials on climate change and its impacts on the estuary widely to key stakeholders. This included:
3. Developing education materials and activities on climate change and its impacts on the estuary. This included:
Encouraging joint working and improved interaction between scientists and policy makers
This was achieved by:
1. Frequent communication of Severn Expert Couplet progress to a wide policy and research community. This included:
2. Severn Estuary events involving both researchers and policy makers including the Severn Estuary Forums and SECCRAG workshops. These enabled discussion and debate between scientists and policy makers.
3. Close dialogue between Cardiff University researchers and SEP Management Group
Informing and developing guidelines to assist with the identification of adaptation options
In addition to the activities noted above, the Severn Estuary guidelines were also informed by:
1. Stocktaking corporate and planning responses to climate change and evaluating policy needs in coastal planning, through:
2. Developing adaptation guidelines for planning through:
Whilst the Severn Estuary process has been long and complex, it can be summarised in three main stages.
The Severn Expert Couplet consists of the Marine and Coastal Environment (MACE) Research Group within Cardiff University and the Severn Estuary Partnership (SEP). This Expert Couplet has a long history, with links between MACE and SEP dating back to the mid 1990s when SEP became hosted by the university. The Expert Couplet was strengthened considerably through the previous INTERREG IIIB COREPOINT project which researched and promoted better Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the estuary. In the last few years, the INTERREG IVB IMCORE project has enabled further development of the relationship, focusing on climate change adaptation.
Whilst IMCORE's overall vision on the Severn Estuary was to provide a strategy for informing the development of climate change adaptation on the Severn Estuary, in terms of the couplet itself it was considered that the project would not only enable the development of an even closer working relationship, but would also facilitate the establishment of links with other academic institutions around the estuary.
• To enhance the capacity for climate change adaptation in the Severn Estuary area
• To encourage joint working and improved interaction between scientists and policy makers
Working together it was anticipated that the Severn Expert Couplet would facilitate the development of more informed SEP actions and projects, including a State of the Estuary report.
Given the broad nature of climate change adaptation and climate change impacts on the estuary, we considered it necessary to bring in other academic expertise, outside of Cardiff University. This was partly a reason for the establishment of the Severn Estuary Climate Change Research Advisory Group (SECCRAG) within COREPOINT and its maintenance throughout the IMCORE project.
This learning portal brings together the results and lessons learned from the IMCORE project. This project was funded under the Interreg IVB programme from 2008 to 2011.