Climate Impacts and Adaptation
We are at the forefront of forecasting, predicting changes to, and identifying how to respond to climate hazards and impacts.
Climate research and future risk
Our research is improving the forecasting of droughts, floods, and other climate hazards. Rainfall, wind, heat and associated flood, drought and storm risks are on the increase. We are testing options for adaptation to future weather extremes.
We are developing high-resolution climate scenarios through new downscaling methods. We combine stochastic space-time modelling of extreme weather with high resolution climate models. This includes models that can represent convective rainfall.
Global projects addressing current and future challenges
Our projects investigating rainfall extremes and flood risk are global in scope. Our work is crucial in helping to achieve global sustainable development goals.
We have developed practical applications to improve adaptation to climate change. We tackle challenges as part of the Global Water and Energy Exchanges Project.
As members of the Willis Research Network, we address the changing global flood regime and its impacts on the insurance industry.
Impacts of climate change on infrastructure in the UK are being investigated through EPSRC's Infrastructure and Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC). Our core membership of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research provides new policy-oriented challenges for our climate impacts analysis.
Developing the future generation of experts
Recently, NERC awarded us the ONE Planet Doctoral Training Programme. This allows us to draw on the expertise and facilities of both Newcastle and Northumbria University. We will provide a world-leading training environment for up to 60 PhD students.
Projects
COLBE: The creation of localised current and future weather for the built environment
Project Leader(s): Chris Kilsby (Newcastle PI)
Project Dates: September 2015 - August 2018
CONVEX: CONVective EXtremes
Project Leader(s): Prof Hayley Fowler
Future Storms
Project Leader(s): Prof Hayley Fowler
Future Urban Flood Risk Management
Project Leader(s): Chris Kilsby (Newcastle PI)
Project Dates: October 2016 - September 2019
INTENSE
Project Leader(s): Professor Hayley Fowler
Project Dates: February 2014 – January 2019
RAMSES: Reconciling Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development for citiES
Project Leader(s): Prof Richard Dawson
SINATRA: Susceptibility of catchments to INTense RAinfall and flooding
Project Leader(s): Hayley Fowler (Newcastle PI)
Project Dates: September 2013 - May 2019
Methods
- SHETRAN
- RAINSIM
- WEATHER GENERATOR
- Sub-hourly global data