Memorandum submitted from the British
Geological Survey (BGS)
1. SUMMARY
1.1 This response from the British Geological
Survey (BGS) to the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) inquiry
of adaptation to climate change sets out:
— A brief background to the BGS and its
role in supporting government policy in earth sciences and environmental
management.— Comments on elements of the National Audit
Office (NAO) report prepared for EAC.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 The BGS is part of the Natural Environment
Research Council (NERC), and is the nation's principal supplier
of objective, impartial and up-to-date geological expertise and
information for decision making for governmental, commercial and
individual users. The BGS carries out research in strategically
important areas including energy and natural resources, vulnerability
to environmental change and hazards, and earth system science,
often in collaboration with the national and international scientific
academic community. In this way the BGS maintains and develops
understanding of earth sciences to improve policy making, enhance
national wealth and reduce risk.
2.2 BGS undertakes surveying, modelling, research
and environmental and geological monitoring to deliver UK and
NERC science objectives. It also works overseas, where it plays
an important role in building geological infrastructure and capacity
in developing countries.
2.3 Our annual budget is in the region of £53
million, a little over half of which comes from the UK government's
Science Budget, with the remainder coming from external commissioned
research.
3. COMMENTS ON
THE NAO REPORT
OF ADAPTATION
TO CLIMATE
CHANGE
3.1 Natural hazards
3.1.1 The impact of climate change is one
of the biggest and most complicated challenges facing society
today. It is vital that research into climate change addresses
the magnitude and frequency of impacts from natural hazards such
as landslides. Currently there is very limited temporal data on
these events (especially landslides) and this has to be addressed
before a good indication of the magnitude and frequency of natural
hazards can be undertaken.
3.1.2 Climate change impacts are not just the
change in temperature or precipitation, but the impacts of those
events on the natural environment, eg the secondary effects. This
is not clear in the NAO review and should not be forgotten. For
example, in urban areas, the highest priorities are likely to
be (for example):— increased surface water run-off (from
higher intensity rainfall) and surface water flooding;
— sea level rise and storm surges in coastal
cities;
— rising groundwater levels with respect
to buried utilities; and
— remobilisation of contaminants from changing
groundwater levels and the resilience of engineered infrastructure
to changes in environmental properties.
3.1.3 As a result, adaptation policies need
to take a very holistic view of the surface and sub-surface earth
system to measure impacts properly. Adaptation strategies cannot
be restricted to the surface alone as this will not give a true
picture of sustainability. This again needs to be highlighted
as there is too much emphasis on surface effects in the NAO review.
4. GROUNDWATER
SCIENCE
4.1 The departmental reports within the review
that relate to the work of Groundwater Science are DEFRA, DIUS
and DECC. Their two-page summaries seem to capture the issues
at the highest level and addition of detail would be inappropriate.
Research into the environmental issues is covered at the highest
level through the Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) programme
but we are unable to comment if the programme is being implemented
in the most expeditious or effective manner.
5. DEPARTMENTAL
APPROACHES TO
MITIGATING MANAGING
RISKS ASSOCIATED
WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE
5.1 The BGS is not in a position to comment
on the individual departmental approaches set out in the NAO review
to managing risks associated with climate change or the suitability
of these procedures. However, a longer-term aim is—through
the recently established BGS Government Advisory Panel—to
engage more effectively with central government to inform and
support policy development and implementation across a range of
departments (eg DECC, MoD, BIS, DEFRA, DfT, DfID, FCO). This will
include working with government to help mitigate the effects of
climate change.
15 October 2009
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