Climate adaptation measures

The implementation of an impact-based multi-sectorial warning system during an emergency case.

Protection from extreme temperatures

Protection from Lightning strikes

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is the collection of rainwater runoff for use. Runoff can be collected from roofs and other impermeable areas, stored, treated (where required) and then used as a supply of water for domestic, commercial, industrial and/or institutional properties.

Include a common repository of climate information on the resilience platform that ensures accessibility to all the players involved

Enhance the flood forecasting and warning system of the city. It support the creation of awareness of neighbors and provides information to the citizens for them to take preventive measures in their homes

Protection from extreme temperatures

Improve our knowledge of the effects of climate change on natural systems (phenology, allergies, pests, etc.)

Improve the public information provided in pollution episodes and warnings of new risks

Improve the communication systems with critical city facilities and services during extreme climate episodes

Make public, through open data, relevant information on climate impacts and any monitoring action carried out (transparency)

The geographic nature of climate vulnerability in the ICT sector can be addressed through improvements in spatial planning and environmentally-appropriate design, just as in any other sector. Planning for the location of key buildings, such as data centres, should place a greater emphasis on long term environmental and climate change considerations alongside traditional commercial drivers. In order to facilitate this kind of planning, there may be a need for mapping and access to relevant data. It may be possible to tune other business processes to drive a market for increased climate resilience of services provided. Procurement and contractual processes, particularly those used by large companies, could be used to require an improved level of climate resilience, which emphasises continuity of service rather than compensation for disruption. In turn, this would drive telecommunications and IT service providers to “price in” this additional resilience. In this situation, there might be some need for a government role to unify or coordinate services provided to ensure national interests are represented, as well as reflecting commercial needs. Organisational protocols / procedures for system back-up and information security already exist. Good practice in this regard will also provide resilience, at an organisational level, against disruption from climate events. The adoption of business continuity standards (e.g. BS 259998) by both providers and consumers of ICT will help, though it may need specific consideration by each individual organisation of how current business continuity plans sit in the context of climate change.

Implementation of new protections and communication schemes in medium and low voltage networks.

The telecommunications providers are already well equipped to respond to the consequences of environmental disruption to networks. However, the general approach to dealing with weather events seems to be to accept that the risk will occur and then respond to its consequences, rather than a more proactive action seeking to reduce or avoid the risk occurring. With an increasing dependence of all sectors on ICT, and a potential for increasingly severe and frequent weather disruptions, an “accept and respond” approach may become increasingly expensive, and unsatisfactory from a customer perspective. Nevertheless, there are a number of ways in which climate resilience may be improved by better response to weather risks. Better contingency planning is needed across a full range of climate hazards, especially those which occur less frequently or which providers have had little past experience of. Responses could be improved through the wider use of weather event early warning systems, linking infrastructure providers and operators directly with the Met Office and the Environment Agency (for flood, storm and heat warnings). Better collaboration with local authorities may help to ensure a more efficient and effective recovery phase following weather disruption

Incorporate CC criteria in the Special Plan for protecting the environment and landscape of the Serra de Collserola nature reserve

By increasing the digitalization of the system, more information of the status of the grid is collected. Remote controlled measures and communication standards will create smart grids.

Rain water is usually collected in streets. To reduce probability for surface water to enter buildings, the difference between street level and ground floor level can be increased. This way more water can be stored in the street profile without flooding the buildings.

The decentralization of the distribution grid by placing renewable generating units at the low voltage level of the power system enhances the continuity of supply in case of the shutdown of a big generating unit. For example, in a climate emergency situation, domestic photovoltaic panels, batteries and electric-vehicles with V2G capability could provide back-up power, increasing resilience.

Increase the number of storm drainage inlets in urbanized areas so that the collection of urban runoff at street level will increse avoiding the accumulation of surface water. Inlet efficiency governs both the rate of water removal from the gutter and the amount of water that can enter into the sewer system and it dependnds on inlet and road geometry as well as the hydraulics of the approaching flows. In order to optimize the measure, a deep analysis of the sewer system's capacity and the locations of the urban area with collection inefficiency.

By increasing the pump capacity water tables can be controlled better. Responding to heavy rains becomes easier, and the chance of flooding is reduced. The need for buffer capacity, translated into low water tables in rivers and channels, is also reduced as the managers have more pumping capacity.