SCORCHIO – Sustainable Cities: Options for Responding to Climate cHange Impacts and Outcomes
Background and Goals
The SCORCHIO project is guided by the underlying assumption that successful adaptation in cities requires good tools for impact assessment in order to analyse the adaptation requirements in urban areas based on different climate scenarios. The aim of the research project is to develop tools for the analysis of adaptation options in urban areas, with a particular emphasis on heat and human comfort in the built environment.
It will do so by addressing the following objectives:
- To develop a statistical climate simulator for urban areas that can be used for impact and adaptation studies, and that can take account of both “greenhouse” climate change and the additional influence of the urban landscape and direct heating.
- To model typical buildings and their surroundings in order to develop a new, readily usable heat and human comfort vulnerability index that accounts for the effects of building construction, form and layout.
- To estimate heat emissions from buildings, together with energy production-related air pollutants and greenhouse gases in order to understand the implications of different building adaptation options.
- To develop GIS-based decision support tools for exploration of adaptation options for urban planning and design.
- To demonstrate the methods and tools developed in each work package through in-depth case studies, working in partnership with practising planners and designers.
Content time
toResearch area/region
Country
- Great Britain
Steps in the process of adaptation to climate change
Step 1: Understand and describe climate change
Approach and results
using the UKCIP02 scenarios
Further Parameters
see UKCIP
Step 2a: Identify and assess risks - climate effects and impact
Approach and results
The main focus is on assessing the increase of heat in urban regions. Particularly older people are at risk from the increase of heat in cities, and especially during the summer months.
Step 2b: Identify and assess risks - Vulnerability, risks and chances
Approach and results
Cities already show a high degree of climate vulnerability and the projected urban growth will only intensify this under the influence of climate change.
Urgency and priorization of adaptation needs
Action by city planners and designers, as well as the owners of infrastructure is necessary in the short term if cities are not to become more vulnerable in the long run. Vulnerability to climate change is not well understood scientifically. Neither the effects of the urban landscape nor the heat caused by human activities are considered in the standard climate projections, despite being potentially very important variables.
Step 3: Develop and compare measures
Measures and/or strategies
Adaptation measures are studied mainly in relation to the prevention of heat stress. The adaptation measures are many, for example, reducing energy consumption in buildings and in city traffic will contribute to the reduction of heat emission
Participants
Funding / Financing
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Project management
University of Manchester
Cooperation/Partners
University of East Anglia,
University of Newcastle,
University of Sheffield,
Met Office,
Project Champion
Contact
University of Manchester
Oxford Rd
M13 9PL Manchester
