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Stakeholder engagement event: "Adapting to the increasing risks of floods and droughts"

Thursday 23rd June, Church House, Westminster, London

Purpose of the event:

• To showcase new research projects which aim to improve predictions of rainfall for the next 10 to 60 years, with particular focus on extreme heavy rainfall and drought in the UK. The projects bring together climate scientists and hydrologists to link climate predictions with impacts and implications for adaptation. The research projects are led by Dr Pier Luigi Vidale and Dr Richard Allan, University of Reading and Dr Neil McIntryre, Imperial College.
• To increase research/stakeholder dialogue -- how is information on future extreme rainfall/drought relevant to stakeholders, what are the issues for stakeholders, how do stakeholder needs differ across sectors?
• To engage with stakeholders at an early stage - projects can be informed/shaped by stakeholder needs; to discuss future dialogue/interaction.

Background:

Many businesses and public sector organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of weather and climate on their infrastructure, operations and supply chains. Extremes of rainfall, flooding and droughts can have some of the biggest and most obvious impacts. Floods and droughts can occur naturally, but it is clear now that climate change is altering the risks from such events. The UK Climate Change Act now means that many organisations are required to consider climate change adaption as part of their wider planning and risk management.

While the impacts of flooding and drought are clear, predicting how rainfall may change over the coming decades, particularly at the regional and local level, remains a significant scientific challenge and predictions are uncertain.

There is a need for greater interaction between the research and stakeholder communities, so researchers understand stakeholder needs and stakeholders have a greater awareness of the scientific background and implications for using available information in adaptation planning.

Agenda and presentations>>

Key points from the discussion

User needs

•  Dissemination of research results as projects progress - not everything at the end.

•  Mechanisms for dissemination - ideally "users" need something that can be referred to.

•  There is a need to convert project output into something that is more useful for specific "users"

•  Scientific community should focus on publishing in peer review journals, then "users" know the results are robust.

•  Water industry - seasonal persistence of droughts is important

•  Development - start of African rainfall season important, this is actually more skilful from climate models than mean precipitation.

•  "Users" need simpler messages from the research, e.g., about what may happen to climate in 10 years times.

•  "User" emphasis is on solutions to practical problems, but scientists focus is often on investigating details and reducing uncertainty.

•  Engage with users on a more regular basis.

  Mechanisms

•  NERC Changing Water Cycle Programme includes a strong element on knowledge exchange, so important to feedback information from this meeting to the Changing Water Cycle Programme (through Nigel Arnell/Denis Peach)

•  NERC Water Security knowledge exchange programme - being led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

•  Some projects (e.g., CWC PAGODA project) have a post-doc dedicated to knowledge exchange, NERC pathways to impact encourages this.

•  DFID have senior research fellows - to embed research into policy, to carry out systematic reviews of science areas, to design research calls to support policy.

•  Include "users" on project steering groups.

•  Road shows aimed at users of project results