FINAL BLOG
The natural hazards that are most
common in the United Kingdom are flooding, landslides, heatwaves, and
wildfires. Because they are the most common that are seen in the UK, they are
the most dangerous when it comes to lives lost, infrastructure damage, and money
being spent or recovering from the damage left. Because of this, they are a
priority.
Floods
happen in the United Kingdom due to the amount of heavy rainfall that is seen
here. Climate change due to global warming and the fact that the UK has a lot
of area that has low-lying areas which make it more prone to flooding, are
other reasons why. There has also been a major increase in the last 100 years in
rainfall. This heavy rainfall can lead to landslides, especially on the coastal
areas of the UK, which there are many.
Heatwaves
are another issue in the last few decades for the UK. They have seen higher maximum
temperatures. In fact, “the average hottest day of the year has increased by
0.8 degrees C” since 1961 (metoffice). They are also experiencing longer warm
spells. “Warm spells have more than doubled in length, increasing from 5.3 days
in 1961-1990 to 13.2 days in 2008-2017” (metoffice). Climate predictions say
that by the end of the 21st century all of the UK is projected to be
warmer.
The
last hazards that I believe to be dangerous in the UK is wildfires. From the
year 2021 to the year 2022, the Uk saw a more than 200% increase in wildfires.
This makes this a priority for change. Heatwaves and times of drought have made
the conditions dangerous for wildfires. The UK has seen much warmer
temperatures in the summers than in the past. Temperatures perfect for fires. “A
majority report by the UN has warned that severe weather patterns could fuel
wildfires, and heatwaves and droughts will become more common if action is not
taken soon” (BBC).
The
recommendations that I would give to address these hazards follow what the UK
Parliament Post reports. First you have to identify the problems. Which the UK government
has. They have started to find and identify the “reasonable worst-case scenario”
for each hazard and how these would impact the country. They have produced a
national-level risk assessment. The UK is also a signatory on the UN Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for 2015-2030. This is an agreement
signed by 193 Member States and is supported by the UN Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction. The goal for this is to “prevent new and reduce existing disaster
risk through the implementation of measures that prevent and reduce hazard
exposure and vulnerability, increase preparedness for response and recovery and
strengthen resilience” (Parliament). After reading this, I agree that the most important
recommendation- is to raise awareness.
I would
target the help to the coastal towns on the UK first. These towns have seen
landslides that cause a lot of destruction. This is expensive for
infrastructure repairs, rebuilding of homes, and injuries or even deaths to family
members. Next, I would target help for the many different areas that have
suffered from floods this year in the UK.
If I
had to construct a house somewhere in the UK to avoid hazards, I would locate
it in the middle of Scotland. According to the National Trust Climate Hazards,
this is the safest area. This is because it is inland, away from landslides. It
is generally cooler than other areas in the UK, and it is less likely to flood
in areas away from many rivers.
References:
Climate Hazards 23 (arcgis.com)
Choosing
Where to Live in the UK to Avoid Climate Change - RemovalReviews
500 more
wildfires this year than whole of 2021 - fire chief (bbc.com)
UK
and Global extreme events – Heatwaves - Met Office
Why
Britain floods so much, and how climate change is making it worse (inews.co.uk)
Comments
Post a Comment