Climate Change
Air quality and climate change are now managed through the Department of the Environment’s Environmental Policy Division.
Climate Change is probably ‘…the single most important issue that we face as a global community.’ – this was Tony Blair speaking at the launch of The Climate Group, London, 27 April 2004.
What does climate change mean for Northern Ireland?
These maps, prepared by UKCIP (the UK Climate Impacts Programme), show the predicted changes in average annual temperature for Northern Ireland by the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s.
They show how the predicted temperatures differ according to different levels of emission of greenhouse gases – low and high emissions scenarios.
Climate models predict that Northern Ireland will see warmer wetter winters, with drier summers. The frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding may increase as rainfall patterns change. The timing of natural events such as the blooming of daffodils may alter in response to a changing climate. The balance of species in our environment may change.
On the positive side, farmers may find they are able to grow new kinds of crops and domestic tourism may increase. Businesses may be able to take advantage of changing market conditions.
Being aware of potential impacts now helps us plan for the future.
Snow in Castlewellan - Could scenes like this become less common in the future?
A Scoping Study, carried out for DOE by SNIFFER (Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research), looked at the likely impacts of climate change across a range of sectors in Northern Ireland.
You can view the key findings at:
http://www.sniffer.org.uk/exe/download.asp?sniffer_executive/SR(02)13exs.rtf
A Guidance Document for Government Departments and District Councils on dealing with climate change impacts in Northern Ireland can be viewed at the link below:
Guidance for Public Bodies on Climate Change Impacts in Northern Ireland.