Research: Adapting cities for climate resilience
Helping Manchester to plan and prepare for the inevitable effects of climate change.
About
Research summary
This project is helping one of the UK’s leading cities prepare for and adapt to the consequences of climate change.
The Met Office climate projections and Climate Change Committee predict that extreme heat and heavy, concentrated rainfall will become more common across the UK - creating severe problems for cities, their residents and businesses.
Since 2018, the Manchester Climate Change Agency (MCCA) has had a city-wide and sector-level policy framework to drive action to mitigate climate change.
But efforts to make the city’s infrastructure more resilient to climate change have not led to the same focused policy development or action.
We have embedded an experienced researcher with MCCA to produce a climate change resilience and adaptation policy and action planning framework.
They are working closely with policymakers and members of Manchester Climate Change Partnership to identify how city-wide policy on climate resilience and adaptation should develop.
Statistic
Impact and outputs
Research impact
We have developed a framework for understanding Manchester’s vulnerability to climate change.
And we’re working on a vision of ‘progressive resilience’ to inform the city’s policy for making climate adaptations. This involves interpreting scientifically-informed, academically-robust definitions of resilience for policymakers and practitioners to help build support for urgent action.
We are also:
- developing principles for achieving climate change resilience
- updating sections of the new Manchester Climate Change Framework
- producing communications materials to share and encourage best practice throughout the city and beyond
Delivering sustainable development
Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Partnership for the goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
Research outputs
- O’Hare, P (2021) Manchester’s climate risk: a framework for understanding hazards and vulnerability Manchester Climate Change Agency
- Further outputs, including a policy framework, guidance on monitoring and evaluation, and communications resources will be published in 2021/2022.
Team
Funding
With funding from
UK Climate Resilience Programme
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about our Urban Environments research group, please contact its lead Dr Jennifer Rowntree.
