Making Herefordshire resilient to a changing climate
Climate change affects everyone in Herefordshire. The local impacts include more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as flooding, heatwaves, droughts and storms.
Adapting to climate change will be necessary regardless of how much we manage to cut our carbon emissions, so we need to change:
- How we manage our land and infrastructure
- How we manage water during periods of drought
- How we ensure our buildings are resilient to heatwaves and storms
Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2023-28
We have produced, in conjunction with our partners, a Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2023-28.
The plan outlines how we can prepare for climate change, and provides a series of recommendations for consideration by decision makers in Herefordshire, to ensure that the county's natural environment, people, infrastructure, buildings and businesses are prepared for the impacts of climate change.
Supporting communities to prepare for extreme weather
Find out how you can become climate resilient in your home, garden and local community.
Extreme heat
Overheating, particularly in buildings, is a growing health and wellbeing concern in the UK. There are many affordable ways to adapt your home to help cope with extreme heat:
- Keeping well in summer - Talk Community Directory
- Solutions - Heatwave Toolkit - Solutions for a UK Heat Emergency
Preventing wildfires
The majority of wildfires originate from human activity, and can destroy large areas of countryside and wildlife habitats. They also cause damage to the environment and biodiversity, as well as to property, business and infrastructure when they move into urban areas.
- Protect your garden from wildfires - Prepare and Protect Against Wildfires - NFCC
- Wildfires - Prepare
Drought
Consider drought resistant plants and trees to withstand water shortages in your garden. Managing water wisely can ensure that there is sufficient water for your garden at drier times.
Flooding
You can prepare your home and garden to prevent flooding and damage.
Herefordshire – BeFloodReady includes a range of measures that can be installed on a building to reduce the risk of floodwater entering your property and can also be used to make the inside of a property more resilient, minimising damage even if water does still enter the building.
Our flooding section provides information on what you can do during a flood and after a flood, including grants and financial support.
Find out how to create a rain garden, which is a shallow area of ground or dip which receives run-off from roofs and other hard surfaces.
Storms and extreme cold
Find advice and support to help you keep well, warm and safe during the extreme cold and winter months: