Resilience & Climate Risk – The Role of Urban Trees

Our climate is changing, and in the future the UK can expect milder wetter winters, warmer drier summers, and more frequent and intense extreme weather such as heavy rainfall and hot summer heatwaves. Understanding the place for trees in this changing climate is critical. Trees have a role to play in both climate adaptation and mitigation by critically reducing the urban heat island effect with an increase in morbidity. People are also subject to climate risk and vulnerability especially in our urban environments and trees (and greenspace) have a role to play here.

But, trees also need to be able to survive, grow and thrive in a climate that is changing faster than ever. How can we plant and grow the trees in our urban areas that will provide climate resilience, now and in the future?  This seminar hosted by the Trees and Design Action Group will explore some of these critical issues.

Chair

Kieron Doick, Head of Urban Forest Research Group, Forest Research (confirmed)

Presentations and speakers

What are current  climate projections and why does adaptation matter – consequences of lack of action?

Richard Millar – Deputy Head of Adaptation, Climate Change Committee (invited)

Urban heat and the role of canopy cover

Oscar Brousse – Lecturer in Urban Climate and Health, University College London (confirmed)

From climate risks and vulnerability assessment to positive action

Dr Emma Ferranti – Project Leader WM-Adapt and Associate Professor in Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham (confirmed)

What are the climate risks to trees and therefore which urban trees should we plant for the expected future climate?

Kevin Martin – Head of Tree Collections and Arboriculture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (invited)

Partners

Arboricultural Association, Institute of Chartered Foresters, Institution of Civil Engineers, Landscape Institute and Town and Country Planning Association.