(Michael Mann & Richard Alley, 2014)
Climate change strategies are typically categorized as adaptive or mitigation (Michael Mann & Richard Alley, 2014). Mitigation strategies identify the potential sources of climate change (carbon emissions) causing global warming and find means to reduce the effects of those sources (Michael Mann & Richard Alley, 2014), in the form or reducing carbon emissions by setting emission reduction targets, emission trading mechanisms and/or diversification on the reliance of coal & fossil fuels, energy industry efforts towards a more sustainable forms of energy production (tidal, thermal, wind, solar, biomass).
Mitigation Strategies include:
Adaptive strategies are designed to reduce the impacts of climate change as a response to rising sea levels and do not necessarily address the source of climate change (Michael Mann & Richard Alley, 2014). They are considered a more reactionary strategy, localized and applicable to places, involving the use of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ adaptive measures.
Hard Measures
Hard measures comprise the erection of physical earth works and defenses against rising sea levels incorporating sea walls, dykes, flood-proofing structures, improved city storm water systems to retain inundation water (Tam, 2012).
Soft Measures
Soft measures consist of strategies initiated on the planning level, including coastal setbacks by increasing the allowable development distance from the foreshore, higher building levels (Tam, 2012) and finally planned retreat of industries and development away from high risk inundation zones to higher ground.
The typology of adaptive measures are grouped by the IPCC into three categories:
Planned Retreat: The progression of rising sea levels is allowed to continue, with minimal human impact in changing the natural environment to reduce the level of impact. This strategy involves moving away from the coast using regulatory controls.
Accommodation: The progression of rising sea levels is allowed to continue, with minimal human impact to the changing natural environment but incorporating measures that are designed to be resilient to climate change. These methods involve increasing the height limit of ground floors to, insurance incentives and adaptive buildings (Nicholls, 2011).
Protection: The progression of rising sea levels are reduce by direct intervention to the natural environment by hard measures (Levees, sea walls & dunes) to reduce the impacts on the coastal areas by protective measures.
Current Progress
In the context of The City of Sydney’s current inundation strategy we refer to the most recent publication of the “Sydney City Catchment: Flood Plain Risk Management Study and Plan” which the City of Sydney Council procured the services of WMAwater in the preparation of the plan which is still in is risk management study and planning stages. We make note of options considered by the plan in built form and building codes, flood protection measures & in improving research and flood awareness education of the community.
Recommendation Conclusion
In conclusion the integration of strategies to mitigate or adapt to rising sea levels requires both local government (City of Sydney) vision and community consultation in the development of a plan that considers the timeframe, impacts, risk vs. reward, benefits & unintended consequences, funding strategy and finally the equitable consideration of all the stakeholders involved (South Florida Regional Planning Council, 2013).
Mitigation Strategies include:
- Renewable District Energy System.
- Land fill Gas Capture & Re-use.
- Reduce Building Related Energy.
- Green Transport.
Adaptive strategies are designed to reduce the impacts of climate change as a response to rising sea levels and do not necessarily address the source of climate change (Michael Mann & Richard Alley, 2014). They are considered a more reactionary strategy, localized and applicable to places, involving the use of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ adaptive measures.
Hard Measures
Hard measures comprise the erection of physical earth works and defenses against rising sea levels incorporating sea walls, dykes, flood-proofing structures, improved city storm water systems to retain inundation water (Tam, 2012).
- Strengthening of natural shoreline defenses by development sand dunes (South Florida Regional Planning Council, 2013).
- Harbour Barrier System.
- Berms with waterfront parkland.
Soft Measures
Soft measures consist of strategies initiated on the planning level, including coastal setbacks by increasing the allowable development distance from the foreshore, higher building levels (Tam, 2012) and finally planned retreat of industries and development away from high risk inundation zones to higher ground.
- Council purchase of shoreline easements, development rights, rolling easements, and/or implementing open space programs in areas adjacent to inundation risk land (Zoë Pfahl Johnson, 2000). These strategies are designed to prevent future development by discouraging development through control mechanisms (South Florida Regional Planning Council, 2013).
- Regulatory instruments such as transferrable development rights & the rezoning of underdeveloped low lying land to reduce the potential of land for development where there is a low current risk but high probability of inundation in future projected sea level rises (South Florida Regional Planning Council, 2013; Tam, 2012).
The typology of adaptive measures are grouped by the IPCC into three categories:
Planned Retreat: The progression of rising sea levels is allowed to continue, with minimal human impact in changing the natural environment to reduce the level of impact. This strategy involves moving away from the coast using regulatory controls.
Accommodation: The progression of rising sea levels is allowed to continue, with minimal human impact to the changing natural environment but incorporating measures that are designed to be resilient to climate change. These methods involve increasing the height limit of ground floors to, insurance incentives and adaptive buildings (Nicholls, 2011).
Protection: The progression of rising sea levels are reduce by direct intervention to the natural environment by hard measures (Levees, sea walls & dunes) to reduce the impacts on the coastal areas by protective measures.
Current Progress
In the context of The City of Sydney’s current inundation strategy we refer to the most recent publication of the “Sydney City Catchment: Flood Plain Risk Management Study and Plan” which the City of Sydney Council procured the services of WMAwater in the preparation of the plan which is still in is risk management study and planning stages. We make note of options considered by the plan in built form and building codes, flood protection measures & in improving research and flood awareness education of the community.
Recommendation Conclusion
In conclusion the integration of strategies to mitigate or adapt to rising sea levels requires both local government (City of Sydney) vision and community consultation in the development of a plan that considers the timeframe, impacts, risk vs. reward, benefits & unintended consequences, funding strategy and finally the equitable consideration of all the stakeholders involved (South Florida Regional Planning Council, 2013).
(IPCC CZMS. , 1990)
References:
IPCC CZMS. . (1990). Strategies for Adapation to Sea Level Rise. Report of the Coastal Zone Management Subgroup. Response Strategies Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Hague, Netherlands: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.
Michael Mann & Richard Alley. (2014). Adaptation vs. Mitigation. Retrieved August 2015, from e-education: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/meteo469/node/175
Nicholls, R. (2011, June). Planning for Impacts of Sea Level Rise. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from Oceanography: The Official Magazine of he Oceanography Society: http://www.tos.org/oceanography/archive/24-2_nicholls.pdf
South Florida Regional Planning Council. (2013, November 6). Adaptation Action Areas: Policy options for Adaptive Planning for Rising Sea Levels. Retrieved August 2015, from southeastfloridaclimatecompact: http://www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/final-report-aaa.pdf
Tam, L. (2012, January). Climate Adaptation and Sea-Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Area. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from American Planning Association: https://www.planning.org/planning/2012/jan/waterwarriorsside2.htm
Zoë Pfahl Johnson. (2000, October). A sea level rise response strategy for the State of Maryland. Retrieved August 2015, from ecy: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/PAWGdocs/ci/071007CIsealevelstrategy.pdf
IPCC CZMS. . (1990). Strategies for Adapation to Sea Level Rise. Report of the Coastal Zone Management Subgroup. Response Strategies Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Hague, Netherlands: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.
Michael Mann & Richard Alley. (2014). Adaptation vs. Mitigation. Retrieved August 2015, from e-education: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/meteo469/node/175
Nicholls, R. (2011, June). Planning for Impacts of Sea Level Rise. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from Oceanography: The Official Magazine of he Oceanography Society: http://www.tos.org/oceanography/archive/24-2_nicholls.pdf
South Florida Regional Planning Council. (2013, November 6). Adaptation Action Areas: Policy options for Adaptive Planning for Rising Sea Levels. Retrieved August 2015, from southeastfloridaclimatecompact: http://www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/final-report-aaa.pdf
Tam, L. (2012, January). Climate Adaptation and Sea-Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Area. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from American Planning Association: https://www.planning.org/planning/2012/jan/waterwarriorsside2.htm
Zoë Pfahl Johnson. (2000, October). A sea level rise response strategy for the State of Maryland. Retrieved August 2015, from ecy: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/PAWGdocs/ci/071007CIsealevelstrategy.pdf