Emily Smoucha in Greenwise (UK): The Environment Agency (EA) is to take over from the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) on advising organisations on how to adapt to climate change. From September, the EA will be responsible for delivering climate adaptation work on behalf of Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which is not renewing its contract with the UKCIP and regional climate change partnerships.To provide businesses and communities with necessary information, the EA will receive £2 million from Defra, £500,000 more than the UKCIP and regional climate change partnerships previously received. With the new funding, Defra said the EA would work closely within the health, water, transport, engineering and finance sectors to establish the most effective methods for adaptation.
Climate adaptation is a growing requirement for businesses needing to mitigate the risks of climate change, such as warmer, wetter winters; hotter, drier summers and severe weather and flooding. Cumbria was devastated by severe flooding in November 2009, while the floods of 2007 costs businesses around £740 million, according to the EA.
"These extra responsibilities enable us to build on the work we already do to tackle flooding and coastal erosion and manage precious water resources, water quality, wildlife and habitats," said Environment Agency chairman Lord Chris Smith….
The road at high tide, shot by John Holmes, Wikimedia Commons via Geograph UK, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
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