What can we learn from the Clyde?

In 2019, Climate Ready Clyde completed a detailed Climate Risk and Opportunity Assessment to understand the implications for Glasgow City Region’s economy, society and environment in both the short term and the long term. The assessment identified 67 risks and opportunities which were later grouped into 10 categories as follows:

Risks to…
• infrastructure services from coastal flooding and erosion
• energy, transport and ICT infrastructure from storms and high waves
• energy, transport and ICT infrastructure from extreme heat
• NHS estates due to flooding and overheating
• soil stock from changes in temperature and water regime
• crops and livestock from extremes in temperature and water regime
• freshwater biodiversity from pests, invasive species and disease
• new and existing business sites from river, surface water and coastal flooding
• business from disruption to supply chains and distribution networks

Opportunities for…
• products and services to support adaptation

How might climate change affect the coasts and waters?
The report Towards A Climate Ready Clyde: Climate Risks and Opportunities for Glasgow City Region identified that climate change would affect the natural environment in a number of ways, including:

1 Ocean acidification, due to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, will make our seas less hospitable for marine life, particularly those with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons. As well as the serious implications this will have for the marine ecosystem, it could also be detrimental to shellfish fisheries in the region.

2 Rising water temperatures in rivers, lochs and the sea will affect the suitability of the habitat for some species. Cold adapted species may move north. Some species may be limited in their ability to migrate.

3 As sea levels rise, coastal habitats and landforms such as beaches, saltmarshes and mudflats will be significantly altered and/or may disappear due to coastal erosion. This is exacerbated by ‘coastal squeeze’ i.e. coastal developments inhibit the potential for coastal habitats to shift further up the shore, as the coast is eroded.

4 Changing temperature and rainfall patterns, which, in turn, will alter the composition of plant communities and habitats. Some species may shift to cooler areas, but some may not be able to. Some species and habitats may disappear from the region as a result.

5 Invasive and non-native species are a threat to terrestrial and aquatic environments. Species adapted to warmer conditions may now be able to establish in the region and proliferate. If this happens, they can outcompete or predate native and productive species, as well as damaging infrastructure (particularly in marine environments).

6 Increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events such as droughts, storms and floods. Such events will have serious consequences for industries such as agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, which are closely linked to the natural environment. Wildlife will also struggle to adapt to an increasingly erratic and extreme weather system.

What happened next?
We already know that in the case of Climate Ready Clyde, a project led by Sniffer, their Risks and Opportunities Assessment was subsequently used to inform the development of the Glasgow City Region Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan which, following further consultation, was published in June 2021 – for more on this, go to: https://climatereadyclyde.org.uk

Now, Climate Ready South East Scotland will support collaborative climate action in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region. So far it has been commissioned for the first phase: to identify and prioritise the risks and opportunities from climate change to the region’s society, economy and environment, between now and 2080. This new project is led by Sniffer, working in partnership with six local authorities: City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.

Other stories from Issue Three of ForthRight:

“I’m a climate model geek”
Discover what drives Cat Payne of Sniffer

“This is a wake-up call”
In-depth Q&A with Alistair Rennie of Dynamic Coast

Climate change in charts
Key Met Office data

How can we adapt to climate change?
The launch of Climate Ready South East Scotland