Test Slide 1

1
The development of the Severn Climate Change RAG
Dr Rhoda Ballinger
2
Format of talk

• Progress to date
• Background research
• Bristol January 07 Workshop
• Todays discussion
• Development of Research Advisory Group
• Future developments events

• We have oceans of data,
• rivers of information,
• puddles of knowledge
• and the odd drop of wisdom. Nix H. A National
  Geographic information an Achievable Objective?
  AUSISA Conference. 1990

3
Preliminary work
4
Climate Change Impetus Preliminary Work

• Impetus
• Severn Estuary Strategy action
• INTERREG COREPOINT funding
• Preliminary work
• Review of research strategy development of other
  UK coastal partnerships
• SEP discussions
• JAC / MG

5
Lead to focus on climate change
6
Climate Change Preliminary Work

• Severn Estuary Research Citations Database
• over 450 references
• ENDNOTE
• Severn Estuary Contacts list
• 135 organisations

7
Bristol Workshop
8
Bristol Workshop Aims Attendance

• Aims
• To raise awareness, network scientists
  professionals
• To identify research priorities related to
  climate change
• To explore integration of research / policy
• Attendees
• representatives from universities, government
  agencies, ngos and local authorities around the
  Estuary

9
Focus of Bristol Workshop

• Presentations
• Impacts of climate change on the Severn Estuary
• Thames Estuary Partnership Research Forum
• Planning management perspectives (UKCCIP EA)
• Science perspective
• Discussions focused on
• The research communitys needs aspirations on
  coastal change
• Policy makers needs for climate change
  information
• Synergies between priorities for coastal climate
  change research from researchers policies
  makers
• Preliminary discussions on the development of a
  Severn Climate Change Advisory Group

10
Bristol Workshop Outcomes Outputs

• Outcomes
• Useful networking opportunity benefits
• Agreement to pursue Severn Climate Change
  Research Advisory Group
• Agreement to bring discussions to the Severn
  Estuary Forum
• Outputs
• Report including presentations
• Summary of meeting
• including suggested research priorities
• ideas for RAG development

11
Bristol Workshop Research Priorities

• Key priorities
• Downscaling of climate change assessment for the
  estuary
• Assessments of the state of the whole estuary
• Social and economic assessment of climate change
  impacts
• Mapping of assets (including nature conservation,
  built heritage and tourism) at risk from climate
  change
• Implications of climate change on coastal risk
  management
• Identification of the climate change-related
  scientific and research inputs required for
  estuary-wide, local authority and other plans
• Driving factors
• renewables
• tourism beach management

12
Research Outputs Required

• Updated, projected probabilistic estimates of
  climate change
• Development and monitoring of key indicators
• Risk and scenario-based predictions
• Visualisation of how the estuary is going to
  change

Flatholm Future?!
13
Development of Severn Research Advisory Group -
todays discussions including comments from
critical friend Graham Lymbery, Sefton
14
RAG Development considerations

• Purpose Membership - a forum for
• Linking researchers with interests on climate
  change in the Severn Estuary
• Linking researchers with policy-makers user
  groups
• Priorities from todays workshop
• bridge between strategic tactical research
• need to define levels of risk with monitoring of
  baseline indicators for future climate change
• need for signposting of existing future
  research (UKSSIP08)
• need to increase accessibility of trust in
  existing research ( research community)
• translation - plain simple - mobilise the public

15
RAG Operating Procedures

• Membership
• size structure, need for dedicated Officer /
  Secretariat
• representation responsibilities - other models
  e.g. CCO
• Operating procedures - small
• terms of reference
• potential frequency topics of meetings
• reporting structures
• Links to other groups - SEP
• Funding support - incremental

16
Future development
17
Future Development Events

• Future development
• Small Steering Group
• RAG Research Priorities
• Research needs
• Review of citations contacts databases
• CoastNET / COREPOINT conference
• Conference on Coastal Climate Change
• Friday 22 June 2007, Cardiff
• SPACES still available
• SEP partners REDUCED conference fee of 50
• Autumn Second Workshop
• October 19 (Friday), Cardiff

18
Thank you

• Further information
• General COREPOINT enquiries / Climate change
  BallingerRC_at_Cardiff.ac.uk
• Report other materials available from
• http//www.severnestuary.net/sep/publications/work
  shopreports.html