Kingston’s approach to preparing for the impacts of climate change
Emergency planning and response
Climate change has altered the frequency and nature of certain extreme weather events and is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of most in the future. It may also lead to the emergence of new, compound events, while cold extremes will still occur.
These changes will place growing pressure on incident and emergency management systems and on the staff and resources involved. Emergency planning will need to evolve to consider a broader range of events, changing likelihood and a longer-term perspective.
Please review Target 5 and the suggested measures. Once you’ve reviewed these, please share your thoughts by answering the questions below.
What will Kingston do to prepare for the impacts of climate change?
Target 5: Prepare to act on a variety of climate change hazards in line with predicted impacts of climate change in Kingston
- Ensure business continuity plans are up-to-date and embed climate risks
- Continue cross-agency cooperation with police, fire brigade, NHS and ambulance establishing clear roles in climate related emergencies
- Embed climate change risks in all corporate and borough risk registers, following the latest evidence on climate risk
- Plan for evacuation centres and community support hubs to be scaled up to cope with projected increase in climate related events
- Improve data sharing, working with the voluntary sector, to ensure the most vulnerable will be supported in emergencies
- Ensure ready supply and readiness to deploy temporary flood measures
- Work with VCSE sector and community partners on building community resilience by mapping existing resources, enhancing social cohesion and improving preparedness to face increasing climate hazards