Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) says stark climate predictions are a ‘call to arms’ after Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary, announced the results of cutting-edge scientific projections.
Based on Met Office science, the UK Climate Projections 2009, provide a detailed map of how climate change might affect every part of the UK over the next century.
In the South East projections include an increase in average summer temperatures of between 2 and 6 degrees centigrade and a 22% decrease in average summer rainfall.
“These findings are sobering,” says Dr Tony Whitbread, Chief Executive of SWT, “Without decisive action we face soaring summer temperatures, water shortages, heat stress and floods - all of which impacts on our health, the economy and our wildlife.
“We need to create a living landscape in Sussex now,” continues Dr Whitbread, “If our environment becomes further degraded it will not only be wildlife that suffers. At a national and local level we must build an environment that is able to adapt to climate change. This means building a large green network – a matrix of wildlife habitats so that plants and animals can move and adapt. Currently our wildlife habitats are too fragmented and as the climate changes, plants and animals will simply disappear resulting in the degradation of the environment on which we all rely.”
Restoring the natural environment on a landscape-scale not only helps wildlife it can provide essential ecological services such as alleviating floods, controlling pollution and helping with the storage of carbon dioxide.
SWT is already proposing green networks for Sussex and endeavouring to develop larger blocks of wildlife habitat centred on its nature reserves. The Trust aims to work with local communities and landowners to build on this vision of a healthy, interconnected, robust environment – an attractive green matrix in which people and wildlife can flourish in a changing world.
To find out how SWT is working towards developing an adaptable environment visit our climate change page at www.sussexwt.org.uk
Area maps and findings from the UK Climate Projections 2009 are publicly available online visit http://ukcp09.defra.gov.uk
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