Memorandum submitted by the Woodland Trust
CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER POLICY
The Woodland Trust welcomes this opportunity
to submit written evidence to the above inquiry. The comments
that follow are delivered on behalf of the UK's leading woodland
conservation charity. We achieve our purposes through a combination
of acquiring woodland and sites for planting and through advocacy
of the importance of protecting ancient woodland, enhancing its
biodiversity, expanding woodland cover and increasing public enjoyment.
We own over 1,100 sites across the country, covering around 19,000
hectares (47,000 acres) and we have 250,000 members and supporters.
SUMMARY
As we move into a time when climate change is
going to change the rainfall patterns prevalent in the UK, we
need to look for more sustainable solutions to flood control and
aquifer protection. We believe that woodland, especially native
woodland, can help provide such solutions but there is inadequate
research to demonstrate this satisfactorily.
CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS ON
RAINFALL
1. The Select Committee will be aware of
the UK Climate Impacts Programme's 2002 scenarios.[2]
While annual average precipitation across the UK may decrease
slightly (0-15%) by the 2080s, seasonal distribution of this rainfall
will change. Winters are predicted to become wetter by up to 30%.
Furthermore extreme winter rainfall will become more frequent,
with winter daily precipitation intensities that are experienced
once every two years on average, possibly occurring up to 20%
heavier.
2. This type of intense rainfall event means
that rain runs off the land rather than being absorbed into it,
and this will inevitably increase seasonal flood risk.
WETLANDS AND
WET WOODS
IN FLOOD
MANAGEMENT
3. A recent report undertaken by ERM and
Professor Kenneth Willis, on behalf of the Woodland Trust, shows
that woodland can help deliver 11of the UK Government's 15 headline
quality of life indicators[3].
As part of the contribution to "improving river quality"
(H12) and "economy must continue to grow" (H1) the role
of woodland in helping to alleviate flooding was shown to be positive.
4. The Woodland Trust is particularly interested
in the capacity of wetlands, including wet woodland, to store
water and therefore play a vital role in future flood defence
strategies and is currently undertaking a worldwide literature
review of examples. Flood defence strategies to date have centred
on canalising watercourses and moving water as quickly as possible
from the upper catchment out to sea. Recent experience and climate
change predictions would suggest that this strategy might no longer
be a sustainable approach to managing floodwaters, particularly
in the flash flood, and slowing down flow rates might be a more
appropriate response.
5. More extensive use of river flood plains
could provide enormous storage capacity. This would slow down
flow rates, and would serve to control the flashiness of watercourses
as they pass through built-up areas. Of particular interest to
us is that strategically located flood plains managed in such
a way, with a mosaic of habitats, including wet woodland, are
important wildlife habitats in their own right and Government
HAP targets do seek to increase their area.[4]
Such riparian habitat has the potential to contribute to the development
of ecologically functional landscapes that ensure that biodiversity
is best placed to cope, adapt and move in response to climate
change.
6. We are aware that scientists at Forest
Research's Talybont Research Station are currently undertaking
modelling work on the potential role of woodland in the flood
plain to alleviate flood risk down stream.
7. Further interesting work has been done
at Pontbren in Wales[5]
where soil water storage and infiltration capacity has been researched
on agricultural land recently planted with trees. The results
show that infiltration is significantly greater (90%) in the area
planted with trees than in the adjacent agricultural land.
8. Research of this type illustrates the
potential for not only innovative use of flood plains for flood
storage gain, but also for more sustainable land use practices
which may reduce the effects of intense rainfall events, by enabling
a greater volume of water to infiltrate the soil.
FURTHER RESEARCH
9. A further area of research required is
the ability of riparian habitats, which would include wet woodland,
to help deliver the Water Frameworks Directive requirements for
water quality, through buffering of watercourses enabling filtration
of diffuse pollutants. In upper catchments this is particularly
important as headwater streams, ditches and finger drains, which
intersect farmland, are where diffuse pollution tends to enter
watercourses. Again such land use changes would help to deliver
biodiversity targets.
10. The Sustainable Development Commission
notes that "planning for winter floods and summer droughts
that may become more frequent with the advent of climate change
does not appear to be very far advanced[6]".
The Woodland Trust wishes to see greater investment in research
to identify sustainable landuse practices that would help to mitigate
the effects of predicted climate change on water management, especially
flood control.
11. Furthermore the Woodland Trust urges
the Government to look at these research areas in a holistic way,
such that delivery of more than one policy area can be considered
at the outset, thereby better reflecting the Government's approach
to sustainable development. A joined up approach to research on
issues surrounding climate change and water policy could help
tackle other issues including diffuse pollution, biodiversity,
recreation and flooding, enabling simultaneous delivery of a wide
range of sustainable development indicators.
12. Whilst not included in the terms of
reference, we hope that that the Committee will take the opportunity
to take a joined up look at how this inquiry is relevant to recent
CAP reform. This may include, for example, Good Agricultural and
Environment Condition, including the targeted use of buffer strips
to protect watercourses, and also likely agricultural demand for
irrigation water in the future.
The Woodland Trust
April 2004
2 Hulme, M, Jenkins, GJ, Lu, X, Turnpenny, JR, Mitchell,
TD, Jones, RG, Lowe, J, Murphy, JM, Hassell, D, Boorman, P, McDonald,
R and Hill, S (2002) Climate Change Scenarios for the United Kingdom:
The UKCIP02 Scientific Report. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change
Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East
Anglia, Norwich, UK. 120pp. Back
3
The Woodland Trust (2004) Making Woodland Count-its contribution
to our quality of life. A report prepared by ERM, in collaboration
with Professor Kenneth Willis, for the Woodland Trust. http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/campaigns/images/qol2.pdf Back
4
Wet Woodland HAP-www.ukbap.org.uk Back
5
ZL Carroll1, SB Bird, BA Emmett1, B Reynolds1 & FL Sinclair2.
Can shelter belts on agricultural land reduce the flooding risk?1.
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Orton Building, Deiniol Road,
Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, LL57 2UP.2 School of Agricultural &
Forest Sciences, University of Wales Bangor, Deiniol Road, Bangor,
Gwynedd, LL57 2UW. Back
6
Shows promise. But must try harder. A report by the Sustainable
Development Commission. April 2004 Back
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