Update Report on Sectoral Adaptation PlansNovember 2018

Prepared by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

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Department/Sector Overview 2017/2018 Compliance with EU and international agreements

Agriculture, Food and the

Marine – Agriculture, Forest

and Seafood Sectors

Work has commenced on

developing the sectoral

adaptation plan for the

agriculture, forestry and seafood

sectors as required under the

published National Adaptation

Framework (NAF). This work

builds on the work completed in

preparing the non-statutory

adaptation planning document

Adaptation Planning -

Developing Resilience to Climate

Change in the Irish Agriculture

and Forest Sector published last

year.

The methodology being followed

is in line with the 6 step planning

cycle outlined in the Sectoral

Planning Guidelines for Climate

Change Adaptation published in

May. An Internal Stakeholder

Group was set up to ensure a

broad spectrum of knowledge

and technical expertise from

across the relevant Divisions

within the Department of

Agriculture, Food and the Marine

(DAFM) is captured during plan

development. There has been

The sectoral adaptation

plan will be reviewed

against obligations under

the SEA and Habitats

Directives with a view to

determining whether

Strategic Environmental

Assessment (SEA)

and/or Appropriate

Assessment (AA) of the

plan is required.

DAFM complies with a

wide range of legislation

covering areas under its

remit.

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ongoing sharing of relevant

information with this group and a

meeting was held in July. Work

is progressing on the draft

Impact and Vulnerability

Assessment focussing on

climate variables affecting the

agriculture and forest sector. The

Seafood Sector Adaptation plan

is being prepared with the

assistance of the Marine Institute

and Bord Iascaigh Mhara. Case

studies have been prepared for

the Seafood Sector Adaptation

plan focusing on the challenges

posed to Ireland’s seafood sector

by climate change.

The Seafood Sector Adaptation

plan will focus on measures

within the remit of the Minister for

Agriculture, Food and the

Marine.

Origin Green unites government,

private sector and food

producers in a common vision to

improve the environmental

performance of individual farms

and food producers. To date

over 197,000 carbon

assessments have been carried

out across beef and dairy farms

under Origin Green. Discussions

have taken place with DAFM,

Bord Bia, and Teagasc as to how

the organisations could work

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together to effect positive change

at farm level and how Origin

Green could be exploited for this

purpose. The summer of 2018 witnessed

unusually dry and warm weather

and highlighted what climate

change might mean for Ireland

and the northern hemisphere

generally and the potential

vulnerability of the agriculture

and forest sectors.

We saw soil moisture deficits in

the East, South and parts of the

Midlands well above drought

levels resulting in significant

reductions in grass growth and

loss of water from the soil.

A number of actions were taken

in response to the fodder crisis

including: ongoing updated

practical advice to farmers from

the Fodder Co-Ordination Group

on the weather situation and how

to maintain fodder for livestock;

use of social and farming media;

dedicated helpline; local clinics

where farmers had access to

direct support from advisors on

the spot and a dedicated

helpline.

The Department also issued a

number of Condition Red -

Extreme Fire Risk warnings

during June and July 2018 which

were widely covered by the

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media.

Communications, Climate

Action and Environment –

Electricity and Gas Networks

Sector

A non-statutory Climate Change

Adaptation Plan for the Electricity

and Gas Networks Sector was

published in early 2018 in the

context of the December 2012

National Climate Change

Adaptation Framework (NCCAF).

The high level Plan outlined

initial research and analysis on

the likely effects of Climate

Change on the Irish Electricity

and Gas Networks sectors and

possible actions to develop

resilience to climate change

within the Electricity and Gas

Networks Sector.

The Climate Action and Low

Carbon Development Act, 2015

placed the development of

National Climate Change

Adaptation Frameworks and

Sectoral Adaptation Plans on a

statutory basis. As required

under the Act, the first statutory

National Climate Change

Adaptation Framework was

approved by Government in

December 2017 and will be

reviewed at least every 5 years

after that.

Ireland’s first statutory National

Adaptation Framework (NAF)

In relation to the

development and

finalisation of the

Adaptation Plan for the

Electricity and Gas

Networks, this task will

be undertaken taking

account of any

obligations that may

arise in regard to the

SEA and Habitats

Directives.

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was published in January 2018.

The NAF sets out the national

strategy to reduce the

vulnerability of the country to the

negative effects of climate

change and to avail of any

positive impacts.

The first statutory Climate

Change Adaptation Plan for the

Electricity and Gas Networks

Sector is currently being drafted

under the new provisions set out

in the Climate Action and Low

Carbon Development Act 2015

and the National Adaptation

Framework.

A working group, led by DCCAE

and involving key electricity and

gas network stakeholders has

been established to scope out

and develop this Plan using the

Sectoral Planning Guidelines for

Climate Change Adaptation. The

finalisation of plan will be an

iterative process and likely to

involve public consultation.

Communications, Climate

Action and Environment –

Communications Networks

Sector

Following internal consultation

within the Communications

sector of the Department, an

informal Core Team was

established to identify

appropriate stakeholders to invite

to the inaugural meeting of the

Does not arise at this

stage

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Steering Group on the National

Adaptation Plan in respect of the

Communications Sector.

Invitations to participate in the

Steering Group have been

issued to both industry

stakeholders and relevant public

sector bodies, with the inaugural

meeting scheduled to take place

on 1 October 2018.

In addition, work was undertaken

on a pre-Steering Group

questionnaire which has been

circulated to industry

stakeholders and relevant public

sector bodies. The questionnaire

will aid the Steering Group adopt

a focused approach to meetings

from the outset, raising issues

such as the ownership and

operation of critical

communications network

infrastructure, the infrastructure’s

vulnerability to past extreme

weather events and enquiring

about ongoing plans within

industry to adapt to climate

change.

Planning is underway for

subsequent meetings of the

Steering Group and the

development of the Adaptation

Plan. It is projected that a draft

Adaptation Plan will be complete

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by Q1 2019, following which it

will be put out to public

consultation.

Transport, Tourism and

Sport – Transport

Infrastructure Sector

The sector’s first step in

adaptation planning, Developing

Resilience to Climate Change in

the Irish Transport Sector was

prepared under the non-statutory

2012 National Climate Change

Adaptation Framework and was

published in November 2017.

An implementation plan which

proposed a number of actions to

build adaptive capacity within the

sector was published

concurrently and has been

progressed by DTTAS through

consultation with stakeholders.

Work is now underway to build

upon the initial research and

analysis set out in this plan in the

preparation of the Statutory

Adaptation Plan (as set out in the

National Adaptation Framework)

for transport before September

2019.

To close knowledge gaps around

the quantitative impacts of

climate change and priority risk

assessment, a methodology to

collect data following extreme

weather events has been

developed in consultation with

key transport stakeholders in

Ensuring climate

resilience within transport

networks is currently

addressed by requiring

large-scale infrastructural

projects to consider

climate change

adaptation as part of a

project’s Environmental

Impact Assessment

(EIA), in line with the

provisions of Directive

2014/52/EU.

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road, rail, aviation, ports and bus

services. Identification of critical

transport infrastructure will also

be considered.

Noting the recommendations of

the Climate Change Advisory

Council regarding the need to

integrate adaptation principles in

the planning and delivery of new

infrastructure projects we will

continue to ensure that the

statutory requirements of the

Environmental Impact

Assessment process are

adhered to.

OPW – Flood Risk

Management Sector

Under the remit of the National

Climate Change Adaptation

Framework 2012, the Office of

Public Works (OPW) prepared a

Flood Risk Management Climate

Change Sectoral Adaptation

Plan, which was approved in

2015. The Plan outlined existing

flood risk and flood risk

management practice in Ireland

and summarised existing

relevant science on climate

change and the current state of

knowledge with regards to

impacts on flooding and flood

risk in Ireland. It defined the

policy for adaptation in the flood

risk management sector and set

out a series of actions to

Does not arise at this

stage.

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enhance the understanding of

the potential impacts of climate

change on flooding and flood risk

and to embed adaptation into

flood risk management practice.

The 2015 Plan also identified

how changing flood risk should

be taken into account in spatial

planning and other sectors and

set out requirements for the

monitoring, review and

evaluation of the plan.

A range of actions have been or

are being advanced to

implement the policy and actions

set out in the 2015 Plan.

These would include:

Research has been undertaken

by NUI Maynooth on behalf of

the OPW to assess the runoff

response for different catchment

types in response to changes in

rainfall patterns,

Detailed analysis has been

undertaken under the Catchment

Flood Risk Assessment and

Management (CFRAM)

Programme of 300 communities

at potentially significant flood risk

to determine their vulnerability to

the potential impacts of climate

change, including the

preparation of flood maps and

assessments of flood risk for two

potential future scenarios,

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The potential measures identified

under the CFRAM Programme

for addressing flood risk in the

communities assessed were

appraised to determine their

adaptability to climate change,

and,

Requirements for the

consideration of climate change

in the detailed design of the flood

relief measures set out in the

Flood Risk Management Plans

that were published in May 2018

have been included in the project

briefs to ensure that the Scheme

accounts for, or can be adapted

to, potential future increases in

flood flows and/or levels.

Noting that nearly two-thirds of

the population live within the

communities assessed under the

CFRAM Programme, the future

scenario flood maps produced

through the Programme provides

a comprehensive assessment of

climate vulnerability of our

communities to flooding. The

maps provide valuable

information for the local

authorities and other sectors in

the preparation of the local and

sectoral adaptation plans in

2019, as well as for the

development of appropriate and

adaptable flood risk

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management measures.

The Annual Review 2018 of the

Climate Change Advisory

Council acknowledges and

commends the work done under

the CFRAM Programme in

assessing potential future flood

risks. The Review notes that it

would be useful if such

assessments took into account

future development, and this can

be considered in future cycles of

flood risk assessments. The

Review also notes the

importance of raising awareness

of climate risk and of prevention

(sustainable planning) in

adaptation. In this regard, the

OPW has published the flood

maps, including the future

scenario flood mapping, through

its flood information portal

www.floodinfo.ie and is working

with local authorities and the

Dept. Housing, Planning and

Local Government in relation to

the use of the maps in spatial

planning and development

management.

The assessments of flood risk

under future scenarios through

the CFRAM Programme allows

the identification of the priority

climate risks within the Sector,

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i.e., those communities that are

particularly vulnerable to, and at

greatest risk from, the potential

increases in flood frequency and

intensity due to climate change.

These areas will require

comprehensive analysis during

the detailed design of the flood

relief measures to ensure

effective and appropriate future-

proofing against potential climate

impacts.

The findings of the CFRAM

Programme with respect to

potential future risks and

vulnerabilities are currently being

analysed, along with a review of

progress in the implementation

of the 2015 Plan. A stakeholder

workshop has also been held

(June 2018) to promote the

cross-sectoral consideration of

flood risk and flood risk

management in adaptation

planning. This work will inform

the preparation of a revised,

statutory Climate Change

Sectoral Adaptation Plan for

Flood Risk Management in line

with the requirements of the

Climate Action and Low Carbon

Development Act 2015 and the

National Adaptation Framework

published in January 2018.

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Department of Health –

Health Sector

The Department of Health

continues to work with key

stakeholders within the

Department and the wider health

sector to identify the priority

actions associated with climate

change adaptation for the Health

sector. This includes:

Baseline climate epidemiology –

developing appropriate

methodology for attribution of

conditions to weather and

climate changes to measure and

monitor same, through health

surveillance and investigation.

Vulnerability assessment of

infrastructure and services -

occurring through Severe

Weather planning process. This

provides for HSE vulnerability

assessment for all types of

severe weather and all services

provided by the HSE and will

form the basis for the bulk of

vulnerability assessment in the

sector. The planning is service

and geographically based and

overlaps with business continuity

planning in many cases. There

have been “lessons learned”

during the weather events of

2017/2018 Storm Ophelia, Storm

Emma, and the heatwave

experienced during summer

Does not arise at this

stage.

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2018, which will be incorporated

in future planning scenarios.

Assessing future climate risk -

current weather and climate

related risks are being assessed.

Future risk assessment may

largely depend on the results of

the vulnerability assessment but

also on the adaptation actions of

other sectors, as health impact is

an endpoint of the effects of

climate change on other sectors.

Identifying, assessing and

prioritising adaptation options -

adaptation options that are

already required to manage

current risks are being

implemented.

Mainstreaming, monitoring and

reviewing - mainstreaming of

climate change adaptation and

vulnerability assessment is

partially underway as above.

Ongoing business continuity

planning will meet some of the

requirements.

Work has commenced with the

EPA to agree a research agenda

for the sector relating to climate

change adaptation and health.

As other sectors produce draft

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adaptation plans and put them

out for consultation, the health

sector is assessing the plans

from a health perspective and

providing feedback on the health

impacts that need to be

addressed in these plans.

Department of Housing,

Planning and Local

Government and Irish Water

– Water Services

Infrastructure and Water

Quality Sectors

Following on from the publication

of the National Adaptation

Framework, the Department has

responsibility for the preparation

of a Sectoral Adaptation on Plan

in respect of Water Quality and

Water Services Infrastructure.

The Department is currently

constituting a Sectoral

Adaptation Team, using the

structure set out in the

Department of Communications,

Climate Action and

Environment’s Sectoral Planning

Guidelines for Climate Change

Adaptation. The procurement of

expert advice to assist in the

Plan’s preparation is also being

finalised.

The National Adaptation

Framework emphasises

addressing complex and cross-

cutting issues relating to climate.

In April 2018, the Government

published the River Basin

Management Plan 2018-2021,

which sets out new collaborative

Irish Water’s Climate

Change Adaptation and

Mitigations Strategy

(CCAMS) will be

progressed in line with

relevant statutory

obligations as outlined in

section 2 of the Climate

Action and Low Carbon

Development Act 2015.

The strategy will be

reviewed against the

requirement of existing or

future obligations of the

State under the law of

the European Union,

including the “SEA

Directive” and the

“Habitats Directive”.

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approaches to addressing

climate-impacted areas such as

drinking water source protection

and the impact of hazardous

substances in our water

environment.

The Department has established

the Local Authorities Waters

Programme – a local authority

shared service which assists and

coordinates the work of local

authorities in respect of

catchment management through

agreed regional structures. It will

be working closely with the new

Climate Action Regional Offices.

Irish Water:

Sustainability and climate

change are key considerations of

Irish Water’s water resources

and wastewater planning to

ensure a resilient water service.

Measures are being

implemented to adapt to future

climate and develop a resilient

water and wastewater service.

These measures include:

Irish Water is developing a

National Water Resources Plan,

which addresses the impact of

climate change on providing a

sustainable water supply within

environmental constraints. Its’

conclusions will inform Irish

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Water’s investment planning

approach. It takes account of

Department of Housing, Planning

and Local Government’s

developing Sectoral Adaptation

Plan.

Furthermore, Irish Water is

developing a Climate

Vulnerability Assessment and

Management standard to ensure

future capital investment projects

are climate change proofed.

The development of urban

drainage modelling and design

tools which take account of

climate change in respect of

rainfall events. These tools are

used to inform the specifications

of new wastewater network

assets.

Flood protection planning now

includes a programme for

protection of property from local

flooding issues which are

occurring more frequently due to

climate change

In respect of Storm water

Management, wastewater

treatment plants are being

specified to provide for storage

and retention of excess storm

flows, taking into account climate

change impacts.

In addition, Irish Water is

surveying and monitoring storm

water overflow frequencies to

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fully understand discharges from

our sewer system to the

environment and to implement

preventative measures.

Department of Culture

Heritage and the Gaeltacht

(National Parks and Wildlife

Service) – Biodiversity

Sector

A draft sectoral climate change

adaption plan for Biodiversity has

been drawn up by scientific staff

in the National Parks and Wildlife

Service. This draft has been

circulated to staff within NPWS,

external Biodiversity and Climate

Change experts, members of the

interdepartmental Biodiversity

Working Group, and the

Biodiversity Forum, which is

represented by eNGOs,

academics other relevant

stakeholders.

A stakeholder workshop will be

held in October 2018 to discuss

and refine elements of the Plan.

The updated plan will go to

public consultation within the

following 5 months and be

presented at the National

Biodiversity Conference in

February 2019, towards plan

completion by June 2019.

Does not arise at this

stage.

Department of Culture

Heritage and the Gaeltacht –

Built and Archaeological

Heritage Sector

Built and Archaeological

Heritage Sections within

Department of Culture, Heritage

and Gaeltacht are working

together to further develop a

Climate Change Adaptation

Does not arise at this

stage.

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Sectoral Plan. This will assist in

building resilience to ensure our

unique and irreplaceable built

historical environment (including

historic structures, designed

landscapes, coastal and

maritime heritage, archaeological

sites and monuments) stand

protected against future threats.

Such protection will be assisted

by assessment, monitoring and

targeted protective maintenance

and repair measures so as to

guarantee the important social

and economic contribution of our

historic environment to the

wellbeing of the State. Ensuring

the availability of the necessary

skills and materials to protect,

repair and adapt our heritage will

be critical.

A Background Study on an

Adaptation Sectoral Plan was

completed in July 2017. This

Study has assessed various

approaches to understanding the

potential impacts of climate

change on the built and

archaeological environment,

outlines the likely impacts

illustrates risks through an

assessment of reported damage

and considers the implications of

climate change impacts for

management. The report was

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presented to the stakeholder

meeting in February 2018.

Appointment by the Department

of expert services is imminent

following a procurement exercise

for “Services for the Preparation

of a Climate Change Adaptation

Sectoral Plan for the Built and

Archaeological Heritage”.

A further stakeholder meeting is

planned for the autumn following

the appointment by the

Department of a contractor to

assist in preparation of the plan.