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Author: Connor Watson
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During my PhD I was approached by my supervisor about work at the Southampton City Council in form of a secondment. This position would conduct a climate risk assessment on Southampton based on heat and flooding risk. This had little relation to what I do in my PhD, as I work on thermal comfort and building air quality, but I've always been interested in policy and climate, and my goal in research aligned with this secondment: to help living working people like many I'm so close with. I accepted the work at this secondment, and now I've found what I want to do in the future. Where I am in academia is a blessing, but I want to more visibly affect the community I live in and this work aided me to do that.Ìý
The report had four main questions:
- What impacts may climate change have on Southampton?
- Where are the current vulnerabilities? What can be done to mitigate effects on vulnerable areas?
- What can we learn from current trends to future proof our city?
- Where does our current knowledge need strengthening?
The goal of these questions was to inform Southampton’s communities, as well as the public and private sectors how we will need to adapt to Southampton’s changing climate effectively. This allows us to make efficient future governance and decision making related to climate change adaptation.
Vulnerability, residents preparedness for heat and flooding, was assessed using existing data taking into account issues of low information accessibility, low neighbourhood cohesion, and low mobility. Risk, an areas susceptibility to extreme heat or flooding, was analysed using physical features such as urbanisation and repetitive flood reports.
What were the outputs of this report?Ìý
The primary recommendation was the continuation of the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme, and subsequently a consideration in reinforcing other areas of fluvial flooding in the future. Surface water flooding can occur due to debris, recommending investigation into select areas throughout Southampton. Generally, this can originate from a number of hotspots, such as: busy roads, land elevation changes, bridges, schools, green space, and gravel car parks. Similarly, poorly planned and older degraded drains can experience tide locking with nearby waterways, poor capacity, and increased blockages over functional drainage systems. Thin pipes and poor drain planning was primarily seen in Woolston ward, whereas older drains were seen in Portswood ward particularly near the coast. Upgrading poorly planned and degraded areas was recommended. Further, high capacity waterways such as: Holly Brook, Jurd’s Lake, Monk’s Brook, and Rolles Brook can cause flooding upstream as culverted areas cannot handle the high water volume. Waterway terracing for natural water storage and adding bends to the waterways was recommended to slow the flow rate of problem waterways.Ìý
A flooding call and response centre was recommended to streamline flood response and deal with immediate threats. On-the-ground agents could give contextual information to investigators and highways teams for retrofit. Similarly, a heat call and response centre was recommended to aid those needing advice or physical aid to get to a safe space during extreme heat. Effective spread of information is paramount, which these can aid with alongside things such as field conversations with the public, flyers, billboards, posters, clubs, events, and volunteer networks tailored to a neighbourhood.
All neighbourhoods were analysed for vulnerability, and area specific recommendations were made for both flooding and heat. Lordshill was shown to be the worst heat vulnerability, followed in order by South-west Shirley, North Millbrook, North Coxford, and the Golden Grove. Both top 2 for flooding vulnerability are in West-central Thornhill, followed by South Woolston, Central Thornhill, and West Millbrook when negating neighbourhoods with no projected flood risk. Public health council employees have vested interest vulnerability, with relevant priorities being wellbeing of young people and greater food quality and health, both of which will improve heat and flood resilience. Research collaborations investigating vulnerability throughout the city are currently working with communities to understand their health and wellbeing priorities. Further, Sport England have identified areas with the most challenges to being active and are working on breaking down these barriers.
To decrease risk of extreme heat, it was recommended to increase green space in urban areas and encourage private property greening to mitigate urban heat island effect, particularly in areas: Freemantle, Bevois, Coxford, Banister & Polygon, and Harefield. Improving greenhouse gas air quality can also decrease urban heat island effect. It was also recommended to gather in-depth buildings and infrastructure data such as neighbourhood accessibility issues and insulation presence and type, such that it is known what retrofits to make in which at-risk vulnerable communities.
It is important to improve not just resilience but also issues extreme heat brings such as drought. Fixing leaks in pipes and encouraging Southern Water to do so is paramount as leading up to and during water insecurityÌý∼4.5 million L/hr is inexcusable water leakage.ÌýOther measures include increased greening to utilise permeable surfaces to store water, reviewing of water allocation leading up to drought, and encouragement or council funded voluntary installation of private reservoirs in homes such that vulnerable areas can rely on their own reservoirs rather than the mains water during a drought.
This report helped me develop as a person and a researcher phenomenally. I gained contacts within the local community and councils beyond that I am sure to use after my PhD to enter new opportunities that are already materialising. To anyone considering seeking out a secondment in a research interest or even a casual interest, it is overwhelmingly recommended.