REPORT
Centre region identifies vulnerabilities and
adaptation options
Published on February 14th, 2016
Overflow and flooding, high temperatures and heat waves are the main climate vulnerabilities pointed out by the six municipalities in the centre of the country participating in the project ClimAdaPT.Local. They are Seia, Castelo Branco, Figueira da Foz, Ilhavo, Leiria, and Viseu.
Several municipalities in the centre region have identified their vulnerabilities and the adaptation options that they will have to develop to cope with climate change.
“In general, the concerns of the centre are common to other areas of the country. One of the concerns is the excessive rainfall, with all the ensuing consequences, such as overflow, flooding, damage and sliding slopes, whether in urban or rural areas”, explains Susana Marreiros, of the CCIAM/cE3c, Faculty of Sciences the University of Lisbon (Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa), which is the centre leading the ClimAdaPT.Local project.
Another concern is the high temperatures and the heat waves, associated with more or less severe droughts and to the risk of fires, which have consumed thousands of hectares of forest in this region.
The main differences regarding climate vulnerabilities are related to the location itself. In the municipalities of the inner regions of the country, particularly in Seia, there have been events connected to snowfall, ice, and frost. On the other hand, coastal districts suffer from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
Councillors’ concern over projections
Climate projections leave local councillors concerned. According to Susana Marreiros, “heat waves will become three to six times more frequent in these municipalities by the end of the century, and droughts should be “increasingly more frequent and intense”.
According to the researcher, “the amount of average annual precipitation will decrease, but the episodes will be more extreme. Rainfall will be more intense in short periods of time, especially in winter, which will cause an increase in flood and quick overflow frequency. Those are bad news”.
Coastal municipalities will also have to deal with mean sea level rising, which according to global projections may reach 1.10 metres by 2100. As for the inner regions, they should expect a decrease in frost and snow. For those who live from tourism associated with snow, it is best to start thinking about alternatives.
Adaptation options have already been presented
After identifying the problems, the municipalities presented their adaptation options.
“There are no major differences in relation to other regions of the country. All municipalities in the centre refer to the need to take action regarding the importance of adaptation to climate change. Many suggest restructuring or revising existing plans to integrate this aspect as well as the creation of early warning systems for events such as heat waves, in order to prevent and reduce its impacts”, outlines Susana Marreiros.
Since more frequent drought periods lie ahead, one of the recurring options is the reduction of consumption and water losses.
"Often, all it takes is just the act of maintaining both irrigation and supply systems. Some structures are old and do not have sufficient maintenance, thus registering network water losses that are higher than 20%. These are investments that pay off”, she indicates.
Other options in this region include the transition to plant species that are less demanding in terms of water consumption, controlling invasive species, improving sanitation and water treatment facilities, rehabilitation and cleaning of water lines, creating rainwater harvesting systems, implementing green roofs and shading mechanisms, as well as creating fuel management tracks in forest areas to prevent the spread of fires.
There are also specific options for the coastal districts, such as the gradual retreat of constructions along the coastline and the reduction of coastal erosion through artificial nourishment and renaturalization of dune ridges.
“In general, the concerns of the centre are common to other areas of the country. One of the concerns is the excessive rainfall, with all the ensuing consequences, such as overflow, flooding, damage and sliding slopes, whether in urban or rural areas”, explains Susana Marreiros, of the CCIAM/cE3c, Faculty of Sciences the University of Lisbon (Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa), which is the centre leading the ClimAdaPT.Local project.
Another concern is the high temperatures and the heat waves, associated with more or less severe droughts and to the risk of fires, which have consumed thousands of hectares of forest in this region.
The main differences regarding climate vulnerabilities are related to the location itself. In the municipalities of the inner regions of the country, particularly in Seia, there have been events connected to snowfall, ice, and frost. On the other hand, coastal districts suffer from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
Councillors’ concern over projections
Climate projections leave local councillors concerned. According to Susana Marreiros, “heat waves will become three to six times more frequent in these municipalities by the end of the century, and droughts should be “increasingly more frequent and intense”.
According to the researcher, “the amount of average annual precipitation will decrease, but the episodes will be more extreme. Rainfall will be more intense in short periods of time, especially in winter, which will cause an increase in flood and quick overflow frequency. Those are bad news”.
Coastal municipalities will also have to deal with mean sea level rising, which according to global projections may reach 1.10 metres by 2100. As for the inner regions, they should expect a decrease in frost and snow. For those who live from tourism associated with snow, it is best to start thinking about alternatives.
Adaptation options have already been presented
After identifying the problems, the municipalities presented their adaptation options.
“There are no major differences in relation to other regions of the country. All municipalities in the centre refer to the need to take action regarding the importance of adaptation to climate change. Many suggest restructuring or revising existing plans to integrate this aspect as well as the creation of early warning systems for events such as heat waves, in order to prevent and reduce its impacts”, outlines Susana Marreiros.
Since more frequent drought periods lie ahead, one of the recurring options is the reduction of consumption and water losses.
"Often, all it takes is just the act of maintaining both irrigation and supply systems. Some structures are old and do not have sufficient maintenance, thus registering network water losses that are higher than 20%. These are investments that pay off”, she indicates.
Other options in this region include the transition to plant species that are less demanding in terms of water consumption, controlling invasive species, improving sanitation and water treatment facilities, rehabilitation and cleaning of water lines, creating rainwater harvesting systems, implementing green roofs and shading mechanisms, as well as creating fuel management tracks in forest areas to prevent the spread of fires.
There are also specific options for the coastal districts, such as the gradual retreat of constructions along the coastline and the reduction of coastal erosion through artificial nourishment and renaturalization of dune ridges.
Seia is realising that it must act
At the highest municipality of Portugal, climate change also provides some food for thought. “This issue was already a concern for us, but we have never approached it systematically because we lacked the information and the methodology that this project has ensured”, claims Pedro Conde, of the Municipal Council of Seia.
After identifying climate events recorded in the past, the council had to face forecasts that included temperature rise, heat waves, decreasing rainfall and severe droughts. “This is dramatic. The more severe consequence, in this case, is the increased risk of fire. If at this point, we already have a very worrisome risk, with the evolution of the climate situation it will become even worse”, he predicts.
As if that weren´t enough, “the occurrence of excessive rainfall after a fire results in soil erosion, with very serious effects such as the siltation of streams and impaired quality of water supply”. That is what happened in 2010 when Seia had to interrupt the supply of water to the population for two days.
As for adaptation options, “the main measure is related to the need to increase the resilience of the territory to fire through, for example, improved surveillance systems, the management of forestry and combating devices”.
Other fire prevention measures are the recovery of forest species pattern, with special care in the face of species with high combustibility (pine, eucalyptus, etc.), and the research of more suitable agricultural and forestry management practices to help the local community to adapt.
The list also includes the protection of coastal ecosystems, the efficiency of irrigation systems in urban green spaces, the efficiency of agricultural irrigation systems, improvement of water supply and sanitation systems, and the decline in consumption and water loss.
“As we will have a water shortage, we must manage it better. This means we must sensitise and educate the population. For many, climate change is a reality that does not affect them. The society must be informed and prepared, and realise that this is not fiction”, he says.
The agriculture and herding will also have to adapt. “Some of the pastures are made in irrigated areas, which require plenty of water. In the future, it may be difficult to maintain grazing in pasture areas in the summer. We have to see how we can adapt to that”.
As for tourism, “the trend is that there is less and less snow. One of the measures is to redefine the tourist image of the Serra da Estrela, which has been asserting itself as a snow destination. We will have to use other assets”.
Castelo Branco shares many of the climate vulnerabilities of Seia. The Municipal Council has already identified them, namely high temperatures and droughts, fires, excessive rainfall and subsequent overflow and flooding, frost / snow and extreme events, such as the mini-tornado that occurred in 2012 and caused several damages.
According to Ana Timóteo, one of the responsible members of this local council, more than a dozen of “general and comprehensive” adaptation options were outlined.
The top 4 are the restructuring of the defence plan against forest fires, the creation of a program to efficiently use and recover water, and to adapt the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan of Castelo Branco and the revision of the Land-use planning, which will reverse some of the mistakes made in the past in terms of land use.
“In Ílhavo, we have an explosive combination”
Something different is the reality of the central coast of the country, particularly in Ílhavo, in the Aveiro district. Different, yes, but no less disturbing.
“We have a combination that can be explosive: intense rainfall, strong winds, and tides,” says Deputy Mayor, Marcos Ré.
Using an expanded internal team composed of division heads and several technicians trained for this purpose, it was possible to identify the climate vulnerabilities of the county, under the ClimAdaPT.Local.
“It was an exhausting work. But more significantly, we became aware, in this Municipal Council, that it is extremely important to carry out this survey and this monitoring”, adds the municipal representative.
According to João José, a member of the Municipal Council, the climate specificities of Ílhavo also include heat waves (temperature increase between 1 to 4°C), reduced rainfall, more frequent droughts and rising mean sea level (between 17 and 38 cm by 2050 and between 26 and 82 cm by 2100)”.
Meanwhile, the local council has identified 33 adaptation options, establishing as priority areas the coastal and lagoon fronts, hydric resources, city planning and land-use, although biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries have also been contemplated.
With a seafront of seven kilometres and 42 kilometres of lagoon front (areas that are marginal to Aveiro salt marsh channels), the sea and the lagoon fronts are, of course, a central concern.
Moreover, Ílhavo has not forgotten the floods of February 2010, which caused notable damage, and have given rise to two major redevelopment projects: the rehabilitation of the Praião pathway (on the banks of the Mira Canal) and the renovation of Biarritz.
“The pathway of Praião was severely damaged in the tempest of 2010. With the redevelopment, the pathway rose almost 40 cm and serves as a dyke path, having been reclassified as a pedestrian and cycling route, in which car access is limited”, says João José.
The executive continues to invest in creating a set of rainwater retention basins, in the artificial nourishment of beaches and the strengthening of the dune ridges, in the construction of a detached breakwater and a spur to tackle coastal erosion and the implementation of emergency sand deposits, among other protective measures for bathing areas.
By: Cláudia Azevedo
At the highest municipality of Portugal, climate change also provides some food for thought. “This issue was already a concern for us, but we have never approached it systematically because we lacked the information and the methodology that this project has ensured”, claims Pedro Conde, of the Municipal Council of Seia.
After identifying climate events recorded in the past, the council had to face forecasts that included temperature rise, heat waves, decreasing rainfall and severe droughts. “This is dramatic. The more severe consequence, in this case, is the increased risk of fire. If at this point, we already have a very worrisome risk, with the evolution of the climate situation it will become even worse”, he predicts.
As if that weren´t enough, “the occurrence of excessive rainfall after a fire results in soil erosion, with very serious effects such as the siltation of streams and impaired quality of water supply”. That is what happened in 2010 when Seia had to interrupt the supply of water to the population for two days.
As for adaptation options, “the main measure is related to the need to increase the resilience of the territory to fire through, for example, improved surveillance systems, the management of forestry and combating devices”.
Other fire prevention measures are the recovery of forest species pattern, with special care in the face of species with high combustibility (pine, eucalyptus, etc.), and the research of more suitable agricultural and forestry management practices to help the local community to adapt.
The list also includes the protection of coastal ecosystems, the efficiency of irrigation systems in urban green spaces, the efficiency of agricultural irrigation systems, improvement of water supply and sanitation systems, and the decline in consumption and water loss.
“As we will have a water shortage, we must manage it better. This means we must sensitise and educate the population. For many, climate change is a reality that does not affect them. The society must be informed and prepared, and realise that this is not fiction”, he says.
The agriculture and herding will also have to adapt. “Some of the pastures are made in irrigated areas, which require plenty of water. In the future, it may be difficult to maintain grazing in pasture areas in the summer. We have to see how we can adapt to that”.
As for tourism, “the trend is that there is less and less snow. One of the measures is to redefine the tourist image of the Serra da Estrela, which has been asserting itself as a snow destination. We will have to use other assets”.
Castelo Branco shares many of the climate vulnerabilities of Seia. The Municipal Council has already identified them, namely high temperatures and droughts, fires, excessive rainfall and subsequent overflow and flooding, frost / snow and extreme events, such as the mini-tornado that occurred in 2012 and caused several damages.
According to Ana Timóteo, one of the responsible members of this local council, more than a dozen of “general and comprehensive” adaptation options were outlined.
The top 4 are the restructuring of the defence plan against forest fires, the creation of a program to efficiently use and recover water, and to adapt the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan of Castelo Branco and the revision of the Land-use planning, which will reverse some of the mistakes made in the past in terms of land use.
“In Ílhavo, we have an explosive combination”
Something different is the reality of the central coast of the country, particularly in Ílhavo, in the Aveiro district. Different, yes, but no less disturbing.
“We have a combination that can be explosive: intense rainfall, strong winds, and tides,” says Deputy Mayor, Marcos Ré.
Using an expanded internal team composed of division heads and several technicians trained for this purpose, it was possible to identify the climate vulnerabilities of the county, under the ClimAdaPT.Local.
“It was an exhausting work. But more significantly, we became aware, in this Municipal Council, that it is extremely important to carry out this survey and this monitoring”, adds the municipal representative.
According to João José, a member of the Municipal Council, the climate specificities of Ílhavo also include heat waves (temperature increase between 1 to 4°C), reduced rainfall, more frequent droughts and rising mean sea level (between 17 and 38 cm by 2050 and between 26 and 82 cm by 2100)”.
Meanwhile, the local council has identified 33 adaptation options, establishing as priority areas the coastal and lagoon fronts, hydric resources, city planning and land-use, although biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries have also been contemplated.
With a seafront of seven kilometres and 42 kilometres of lagoon front (areas that are marginal to Aveiro salt marsh channels), the sea and the lagoon fronts are, of course, a central concern.
Moreover, Ílhavo has not forgotten the floods of February 2010, which caused notable damage, and have given rise to two major redevelopment projects: the rehabilitation of the Praião pathway (on the banks of the Mira Canal) and the renovation of Biarritz.
“The pathway of Praião was severely damaged in the tempest of 2010. With the redevelopment, the pathway rose almost 40 cm and serves as a dyke path, having been reclassified as a pedestrian and cycling route, in which car access is limited”, says João José.
The executive continues to invest in creating a set of rainwater retention basins, in the artificial nourishment of beaches and the strengthening of the dune ridges, in the construction of a detached breakwater and a spur to tackle coastal erosion and the implementation of emergency sand deposits, among other protective measures for bathing areas.
By: Cláudia Azevedo