Define Regeneration:
Regenerating Places:
London 2012 Case Study:
Summary:
The London 2012 Olympics was built in a ward called Newham
in London. Prior to the Olympic Games the area experienced
social, economic and environmental decay and decline. There was
high deprivation, high unemployment, poor GCSE results and the
land was contaminated with industrial waste and sewage. There is
substantial scope for more enduring local economic benefits.
Beyond the undoubted marketing and promotional boost that the
Olympics bring, these stems mainly from the siting of the main
Olympic venues (and associated transport) in the Lower Lea
Valley area. The area contains several economically
disadvantaged localities and is a priority focus for major
redevelopment and regeneration programmes. The potential
economic importance of the Olympics in these areas is therefore
far greater than it is in relation to the totality of Londons
economy.
London is a large, mature, service-oriented economy, accounting
for almost 18% of UK GDP. It is already one of the very few
global cities, a pre-eminent centre for international finance and
business services and a magnet for foreign investment and
tourism. London attracts around 27 million visitors annually,
about half of them from overseas. Moreover, a key point of
Londons successful bid to host the Games was that the city
already has a highly-developed infrastructure and a range of
sporting facilities to accommodate Olympic events. The additional
investment in new infrastructure and facilities need to host the
Olympics in London is therefore proportionally less than in either
various previous hosts or certain other cities that competed for the
2012 Games. London does not need the Olympics to raise its
international standing or enhance its attraction to tourists.
Urban regeneration is a comprehensive and integrated vision and
action which leads to the resolution of urban problems and which
seeks to bring about a lasting improvement in the economic,
physical, social and environmental condition of an area.
Location of the 2012 Games:
The main concentration of required new construction activity will
take place in the Lower Lea Valley and Stratford area centred on
the new Olympic Stadium, and it is in this segment of London
where the benefits will be greatest. The location of this activity
means that the associated investment is a vital catalyst for the
regeneration of the surrounding area. The regeneration of the
Lower Lea Valley, a deprived part of East London, was an
important part of the London bid for the games. It is hoped that
the very high level of investment for the games will set off a
positive chain of cumulative causation, bringing permanently
higher living standards to the area.
Why Was There a Need for the Games?
The Lower Lea Valley is home to one of the most deprived
communities in the country and is the largest remaining
regeneration opportunity in inner London. Unemployment is high
and the public health record is poor. At present this run-down
environment with an industrial history suffers from a lack
of infrastructure. Most of the existing industry provides only
low-density employment. The area has a negative image both
within East London and the capital city. It is hoped that the
Olympic Games will transform the Lower Lea Valley, bringing
permanent prosperity to the area through the process
of cumulative causation. The Olympics will bring development
that will be dovetailed with the existing regeneration framework.
The total investment in the area is expected to exceed 6 billion.
Plans to develop the Lower Lea Valley have been around for some
time but the development role of the Olympic Games will speed
up this process.
The East of London suffered badly during the second half of the
20th century because of deindustrialisation. The region used to
be an industrial heartland with products shipped around the world
from its docks. However, as more factories went overseas and the
process of containerisation and bigger ships made the docks
redundant the area suffered decline. Large areas became derelict
and disinvestment took place.
The main Olympic Park site lies within the East sub-region as a
priority area for new development, regeneration and investment,
the London Plan covers the period of 2016 and forecasts an
increase in Londons population of around 800,000 and a net job
growth of around 640,000.
The East London sub-region is targeted to accommodate nearly a
1/3 of the increase of Londons population and 40% of its
employment growth; the areas abundant land supply and
Government backing supports these growth targets.
The Olympics are a major catalyst for change and regeneration,
levering resources and the completion of infrastructure investment
Key Improvements:
The emerging scale of Olympic-related development and
associated land and environmental improvements means that there
are potential strong links between the Games and wider
regeneration goals for the area, several regeneration initiatives;
and specific sites, are likely to be accelerated by the development
for the Olympics.
The Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets are targeted to see
the bulk of job growth, around 30,000 each.
Stratford covers an area of 124ha and aims to accommodate 30,000
new jobs and 4,500 new homes. The area is well connected by
public transport and will additionally benefit from the new
Stratford International train terminal, serviced by the Eurostar.
Stratford is adjacent to the Olympic Park, surrounding the train
station, some of the housing will be included in the Olympic
Village. Mixed use development including 5m sq./ft. of office,
11.5m sq./ft. of retail, 22,000 bed hotel, community and social
Chart Comparing Newham with London
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Newham London
improvements including health centre and school; the scheme
could potentially generate 30,000 jobs on completion and 15,000
during construction. The London Plan also recognises several
Areas for Regeneration, these are identified by poor
performance in the Index of Deprivation, which measures
employment, dependency, education, health and housing. The
boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney are almost
entirely made up of wards which are within 20% of the most
deprived wards in London.
The Mayor and the Growth Boroughs litmus test for the
successful regeneration of East London is that the deprivation gap
between the Boroughs and the rest of London should be closed so
that over the next 20 years the residents of the Growth Boroughs
will come to enjoy the same life chances as other Londoners. This
is known as convergence.
Newham London
Population density/ha 68.8 47.3
5 a*-c GCSE (%) 41 57
Family Income (/yr.) 28,948 37,073
Unemployment (%) 7.8 4.5
Retail Improvements:
Retailers across London's Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent
Street said there had been an increase in sales and a higher
footfall.
This uplift was reflected in increased footfall across the London
areas of Piccadilly, Haymarket, Shaftesbury Avenue and St
James's. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS),
UK gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1% in the three months
from July to September - the biggest quarterly increase in four
years.
The Games will generate a massive increase in visits to Stratford
in the short term, many of which will involve staying locally and
which will generate short-term demand for local goods and
services. If Stratford City retail centre were to achieve the same
level of visits as Shepherds Bush this would represent an
approximately tenfold increase in day visitors for the whole of
Newham. At current rates of expenditure this would be equivalent
to an additional 1.5bn in local expenditure, although the increased
quality of Stratfords offer compared to the rest of Newham means
that there is potential to achieve more.
Stratford is well-placed to contribute to a large increase in
Newhams business visitor economy, which is worth up to 170m
per annum, given the increase in local hotel infrastructure, the
building of the commercial district and the improvement in public
and international transport connections.
Tourism Improvements:
In 2012 itself, there will be an additional boost from spending on
running the games, with a substantial temporary employment
effect, and revenue for Londons tourist industry from visitors.
The big economic impact in 2012 will result from spending by
visitors to the Games, estimates prior to the games were that
overseas visitors that the Olympic games will attract would have
been around 500,000 and 1 million. The Olympics could generate
an extra 350-700 million of spending by overseas visitors in
London, with revenue from visitors elsewhere in the UK in
addition.
The sitting of the main Olympic venues in the Lea Valley and the
location of the key transport links to the games mean that there will
be very significant localised economic impacts within East
London. The boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham
have notable concentrations of economically and socially
disadvantaged areas and are the foci of major programmes and
initiatives aimed at regenerating the potential economic
importance of the Olympics these boroughs are therefore far
greater than it is in relation to the totality of Londons economy.
The location of Olympic Park at Stratford has several unique
transport advantages. Olympic Park is located near two key
transport stations that will be served by 12 different rail services
with connections to areas throughout London, Great Britain, and
even Europe. These stations are the Stratford Regional Station,
Stratford International Station, and West Ham. Services that
operate from these stations include the London Underground
(Tube) metro system, the London Overground commuter rail
system, the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) system, the Network Rail
national rail system, and the High Speed 1 rail system which
provides Eurostar rail service to Europe and to encourage
tourism.
Leisure Improvements:
A key improvement project is the Millennium Dome, the objective
is to establish the Dome as a leisure attraction of international
significance, planned commercial and leisure elements include
26,000 seat concert and events arena, a 10,000 sq./m exhibition
hall, bowling, hall of fame and bars and restaurants.
The Olympic Stadium was initially due to be scaled down, for use
by both international class athletes for training, utilising the
support services incorporated into the design, and for events such
as conferences, at a lower capacity the venue could be used for low
level training, however, this is being reviewed as it may be more
profitable to maintain a higher capacity for sporting uses such as
international events.
The Aquatic Centre is expected to be reconfigured to seat 3,500
after the games and will be placed to a non-profit organisation;
it will be used for athlete training, and as a commercial health
and fitness centre to the public. It will receive operational funding
from the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority and the University
of East London.
The Hockey Centre will remain in the Olympic Park after the
Games under a non-profit organisation, the pitches will be
available and accessible for community, club and elite use.
The International Broadcasting Centre and Media and Press
Centre will be converted after the Games into a facility with a data
centre as its core use and will include managed studio space and
workshops for small businesses as well as media industries. It will
be an inward investment centre as it is hoped that this will form
the basis of a new creative industry legacy for East London.
Infrastructure:
Extensive improvements to the transport infrastructure in east
London were required to create a safe, reliable and accessible
transport system for the increased numbers of passengers during
the Games. As well as meeting the transport demands of the
Games, the plans also considered the future demands of new
residents and businesses attracted to the area by the regeneration.
The ODA invested more than 500 million in local infrastructure
to develop and deliver these improvements. Some of the key
developments include: second new Docklands Light Railway
(DLR) line; a new branch of the East London Line; new and
improved piers for river services on the Thames; enhancements to
more than 100 walking and cycling routes. By working closely
with key delivery partners, including Transport for London and
Network Rail, the ODA has been successful in transforming this
part of east London into one of the best-connected areas of the
capital. It is hoped that these changes will also help generate socio-
economic benefits by providing previously poorly connected
communities with new transport options that link to jobs and
services.
Local and Business Impacts:
For businesses, various land parcels and options in designated
relocation zones have been assembled and brought under the
control of the LDA. There is significant scope for land and
property owners and developers in this zone to reconfigure their
holdings within this zone and/or bring forward development to
accommodate relocating businesses. There may be wider
environmental and regeneration benefits associated with the
relocations. Businesses engaged in waste management and
recycling may use the relocation as an opportunity (or be
compelled) to improve their working practices to reduce pollution,
or to consolidate or improve efficiency. The resulting
improvement in environmental quality is likely to add to the
attraction of the area in the eyes of other mobile businesses.
Prior to the Olympics the Lower Lea Valley area was characterised
by poor accessibility, high levels of unemployment, fragmented
ownership and low investment. The area comprising of the
Olympic Zone contained approximately 300-400 businesses which
needed to be relocated, to vacate the land for the stadium and
associated developments. Although businesses needed to be
displaced, they had accessibility benefits of proximity to the A13.
Following a review of the housing capacity methodology, the
annual house building target for 2007-2016 was revised to over
31,000, this represents a 37% increase in the target level, the
distribution of new housing within London has shifted towards the
East. The total share of new housing provision for the eastern sub-
region has risen from 31% to 46%, and the annual building target
for the East had doubled from 7,000 units to 14,000. However,
this is a controversial topic it may help via environmental
improvements by building on brownfield sites and boost housing
demand, or hinder via crowding out of land supply. With the
permanent physical infrastructure associated with the Olympics
accounting for a relatively small proportion of total land supply in
the affected boroughs, the greater contribution will be in increasing
the areas attractiveness and image, making it more attractive to
households.
Environmental Impacts:
A potential benefit of regenerating brownfield sites to urban
green space is that it can acts as a catalyst for neighbourhood
renewal, the site selected as the focus for key infrastructure will
house the New Olympic Stadium. The environmental and social
human health benefits from the work include cleaning up soil and
groundwater, through reduced soil contamination. Through the
Olympic Development Agency, the enabling works cleaned up and
area of East London which was heavily contaminated because of
former industrial activity.
Environmental health benefits have been delivered through high-
level commitments for sustainability requirements, such as 50%
reduction in carbon emissions to help this target, 50% of
materials were delivered by rail or water, which also minimised
the impact of transport emissions on local air quality and
supported secondary environmental benefits such as reduced
noise pollution. Sustainability requirements also included 20%
reduction in carbon emissions from on-site renewables, 90% of
materials from demolition to be reused or recycled and 40%
reduction in potable water use.
Who was Involved in the Regeneration:
The Olympic Board has overall responsibility for the strategic co-
ordination and monitoring of the project in the run up to the
Olympic games, and is the body in which both the London
Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the
Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) report. It comprises of the
Secretary of State responsible for the Olympics, The Mayor of
London, Chair of British Olympic Association and the Chair of the
London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has
responsibility for staging and running of the games, the London
Organising Committee of the Olympic Games will be mostly self-
financing through broadcasting and sponsorship deals. It is jointly
owned by the Olympic stakeholders, which are the Government,
the Mayor of London and the British Olympic Association. The
London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games will
manage the tendering process for the temporary venues.
the Olympic Delivery Authority includes the Olympic Transport
Authority. This is an executive non-departmental public body
with responsibility for co-ordinating public sector involvement
and ensuring that the Olympic venues and infrastructure are
delivered on schedule and on budget.
Stakeholder Role
The
The IOC co-operates with the UK
International
Organisations responsible for the delivery of
Olympic
the games.
Committee
Sets up a range of organisations including the
London Development Agency, London
Organising Committee of the Olympic Game,
UK
and the Olympic Delivery Authority. These
Government
organisations are responsible for economic
regeneration, planning the games and building
the facilities.
Comprises Boris Johnson (Mayor of London)
London
and Transport for London, and will organise
Assembly
the movement of 500,000 people per day
 during the games. The assembly will also
influence the policy.
Four London Borough councils are affected by
the Olympics, they have considered and
Local
approved the various Olympic Planning
Government
applications for housing transport and
infrastructure.
The Olympic Delivery Authority has ultimate responsibility in
respect of planning it will be granted compulsory purchase
powers and the ability to grant detailed planning permissions for
the Olympic Park. It will also control and co-ordinate transport
requirements of the Games and manage the tendering process for
permanent venues. After the Olympics, it will have the
responsibility for transforming venues to pre-planned long-term
use. This will include the deconstruction and relocation of the
Olympic Park Arenas 1 and 2 and the Greenwich arena. The
staging of the Olympic Games will be financed through a
combination of private and public funding, including ticket sales,
marketing and sponsorship, and the sale of television rights. A
public-sector funding package of up to 2.375 billion towards
these costs has been agreed, this comprises of up to 625 million
from London Council Tax equating to a 20 per year increase on
band D Council Tax.
Opposition:
Environmentalists:
Although there was a clear majority in favour of the bid, both
within East London and within the UK there was significant
opposition from individuals and organisations. There are huge
differences in perception between developers who characterise the
Lower Lea Valley as corridors of dereliction and
environmentalists who stress the ecological importance of the
area. Environmentalists are concerned about potential loss of
habitat due to redevelopment. Much of the Lower Lea Valley is an
extensive network of waterways, with important wildlife habitats,
on a key migratory route. It has been designated a Site of
Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation by the GLAs
Ecology Unit. In the redevelopment for the games, 500 mature
trees in the area will be cut down. The River Lea Trust views the
planned landscaping of the area as inappropriate. The
construction of bridges to allow large numbers of people to access
the Olympic site will also drain significant sections of the
waterways. According to the Environment Agency, the river
system of the Lower Lea is extremely complex and very important
in terms of flood relief function.
Locals:
The Olympic precinct will demolish every building, business and
tree in the existing area. Some 450 housing association flats and
the Kingsway International Christian Centre (Britains largest
church) will be demolished to make way for the Olympic site.
Residents will be adversely affected by the noise, dust and visual
pollution of years of construction and associated heavy vehicle
movement. Some roads and cycle paths will be closed. People
living in Wick Village and the Trowbridge Estate will be the worst
affected. London council-taxpayers will bear the brunt of the cost.
There is concern that costs will rise well beyond the initial
estimates and that Londoners must pay even more than was first
thought. The 87 plots at the Manor Gardens allotments will be lost.
140 leisure sites for local people will be demolished.
Newham has been one of the cheapest areas in London to buy
property. However, within hours of the announcement in
Singapore of Londons successful bid, estate agents near the main
Olympic site were receiving an unusually high volume of calls
from investors. House prices have been rising at well above the
average for London. Existing homeowners could also benefit by
letting their homes for a premium rent during the games.
Developers have also started looking at land that had previously
received very little attention. local people on low incomes will now
find it even more of a struggle to get on to the property ladder.
Businesses:
Over 300 businesses must be relocated.
A significant number of jobs are likely to be lost in the process
because many businesses will move beyond the reach of local
people. Residents will be adversely affected by the noise, dust and
visual pollution of years of construction and associated heavy
vehicle movement. Some roads and cycle paths will be closed.
People living in Wick Village and the Trowbridge Estate will be
the worst affected.
By the time that London was awarded the games, 81 per cent of
the land in the Olympic Park was already under public control. The
London Development Agency (LDA, the Mayors agency for
business and employment) is currently negotiating with the 284
businesses that occupy the remaining 19 per cent of the site. The
LDA has given a clear commitment that no business will be
financially worse off because of the relocation and is offering
voluntary agreements called the Compulsory Purchase Order
(CPO) process. Under this CPO process, the LDA must pay market
value for all lands acquired. However, some businesses want far
more money than the LDA is prepared to offer. As a major
landowner, itself, the LDA has enough land to relocate every
existing business on the Olympic site, but some businesses may
choose to make their own arrangements. Examples of local
businesses affected by the relocation arrangements are: H. Forman
and Sons, a salmon-smoking factory on the Marshgate Lane
trading estate with 50 employees A row of about 20 car repair
garages and haulage yards on Carpenters Road.
Successful?
Sustainability was considered when the soil treatments were
selected and helped guide the management of the remediation
process. Environmental health benefits have been delivered
through high-level commitments for sustainability requirements,
such as a 50% reduction in carbon emissions. To help meet this
target, 50% of materials were delivered by rail and water, which
also minimised the impact of transport emissions on local air
quality and supported secondary environmental benefits such as
reduced noise pollution. Sustainability requirements also included
20% reduction in carbon emissions from on- site renewables, 90%
of materials from demolition to be reused or recycled and 40%
reduction in potable water use. The project is aiming to achieve the
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method (BREEAM) standards of excellence on buildings. Another
benefit of the project will be habitat connectivity, extending the
network of London's green space: the Olympic Park will connect
to areas such as Hackney Wick and Leightonstone. Secondary
human health benefits from the GI include recreation opportunities
and improved landscapes. Groundwater remediation included
groundwater dewatering and dual-phase extraction which has
already led to habitat improvements. In the later stages this will
improve filtration and help with flood alleviation. While the
benefits of the regeneration mega-project occur through the
transition of the site, it is apparent that there will be a number of
secondary benefits from creating the Olympic Park. These include
improvements to air quality and temperature and to visual aspects
through the planting of 4000 trees. Therefore, this was successful,
in terms of environmental benefits. Following the Games, the
Athletes Village will be converted to provide 3,600 new
apartments and town houses. Up to 50% of the homes will be
affordable for rent and sale, while the rest will be private market
housing for sale. Beyond the Athletes Village, the Clays Lane
Estate is currently the only housing in the area. After the planned
demolition of the estate (150 units), additional new housing will
be built on the site. Combining these two elements, Olympic-
related sites contribute a total of 4,320 housing units to the
Stratford City development, conversely house prices in Hackney
have risen by 18% over the past year, the highest rate of inflation
in London, which is a failure socially.
The Olympic Games will focus enormous attention and large-
scale investment on an area of London previously characterised by
poor access, high levels of deprivation, low environmental quality
and under-investment. The Games represent a huge opportunity to
act as a catalyst for accelerating and reinforcing the wider
regeneration objectives for the area. On the contrary they require
detailed and lasting commitment from planning authorities and
other agencies, including Central Government, to ensure the
evolution of communities rather than simply the construction of
more housing units.
This means committing investment in transport infrastructure,
delivering a broad range of public services and facilities, retaining
the focus on environmental improvement and reshaping the area
into one where businesses wish to locate and households wish to
live. In other words, focusing capital investment on projects of
durable benefit, and seeking to integrate the Olympics area with
the rest of the urban structure and other key nodes within it, these
have been considerable long-term successes.
For businesses, various land parcels and options in designated
relocation zones have been assembled and brought under the
control of the LDA. There is significant scope for land and
property owners and developers in this zone to reconfigure their
holdings within this zone and/or bring forward development to
accommodate relocating businesses. There may be wider
environmental and regeneration benefits associated with the
relocations.
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths:
Strategic planning of legacy and regeneration considered advance
of the games. Brownfield site with potential for redevelopment
and regeneration. Cross party political support and commitment
for regeneration. Complimentary local and regional regeneration
initiatives occurring in east London and Thames gateway. Bibliography:
Involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. http://geography.org.uk/resources/Sporting-event-case-
studies/london2012/legacy/
Weaknesses:
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_d
estination/2901179_OlympicLegacy_acc.pdf
Governance and strategies for regeneration are complex. No
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-
planned long-term evaluation of regeneration. Regeneration
government-policy-2012-olympic-and-paralympic-legacy/2010-
organisations have a limited lifespan. Public consultation time
to-2015-government-policy-
constrained/bypassed by the need to deliver infrastructures.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympics-legacy-
Legacy use of some venues post-games is uncertain.
did-the-games-succeed-in-rejuvenating-east-london-
Opportunities: 8711691.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2P05qHxrT0
Olympics provides a focus for drawing together regeneration
initiatives and aligning local policies. Enhanced/additional
investment in wider regeneration programmes. Reverse the
downward spiral of decline in the Olympic host boroughs, which
has existed for centuries. Develop a holistic approach to planning
and regeneration.

Threats:

Implementation of legacy plans requires and relies on public

funding and post-Games this is uncertain. Potential conflict
between local, regional and national policies, for example on
funding and priorities. Uncertainty over future Governance
arrangements for regeneration legacy. Gentrification and
displacement of existing communities.
 Coastal Landscapes and Change: overall sea level will fall since theres the same amount of water
in the ocean. Conversely, if the ocean basins get smaller, the
Tuvalu Islands Climate Refugees: volume of the oceans decreases and the sea level rises accordingly.

Definitions:

A sea level rise is an increase in the volume of water in the world's

oceans, resulting in an increase in global mean sea level. Sea level
rise is usually attributed to global climate change by thermal
expansion of the water in the oceans and by melting of Ice sheets
and glaciers on land.

Climate Change is a long-term change in the earth's climate,

especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric
temperature, can be cause by humans for example fossil fuels or
by natural causes such as the Milankovitch Cycles or volcanoes.
A storm surge is a rise in sea level that occurs during tropical
cyclones, intense storms also known as typhoons or hurricanes.
The storms produce strong winds that push the water into shore,
which can lead to flooding. This makes storm surges very
dangerous for coastal regions.
Climate refugees or climate migrants are a subset of
environmental migrants who were forced to flee due to sudden or
gradual alterations in the natural environment related to at least
one of three impacts of climate change: sea-level rise, extreme
weather events, and drought and water scarcity.
Location:
Tuvalu is an extremely small, isolated atoll island nation,
dispersed within the Central Pacific Ocean, just below the
equator, it is located midway between Australia and Hawaii,
Tuvalu was formerly the Ellice Islands and comprises of nine
cluster atoll islands. Tuvalu has a total land area of 26 sq. km. the
island consists of 5 coralline atolls and 3 table reef islands with
one 1 composite island.
What factors make the islands vulnerable to storms surges &
rising sea levels?
Physiographic Conditions:

Eustatic Sea Levels:
Eustatic change is when the sea level changes due to an alteration
in the volume of water in the oceans or, alternatively, a change in
the shape of an ocean basin and hence a change in the amount of
water the sea can hold. Eustatic change is always a global effect.
For example, during and after an ice age, eustatic change takes
place. At the beginning of an ice age, the temperature falls and
water is frozen and stored in glaciers inland, suspending the
hydrological cycle. This results in water being taken out of the sea
but not being put back in leading to an overall fall in sea level.
Conversely, as an ice age ends, the temperature begins to rise and
so the water stored in the glaciers will re-enter the hydrological
cycle and the sea will be replenished, increasing the sea levels.
The islands of Tuvalu rare alike in physiographic development
processes with low-lying land, rarely exceeding three metres
above mean sea level. The islands are generally coastal in nature,
that is, easily affected by costal processes such as costal erosion,
sea sprays and salination. On the five atolls, there are two regions
of costal area: coastal areas are adjacent to the open ocean. Costal
erosion is mostly severe on costal erosions exposed to the open
ocean, most on, but no limited, to the Western side of the islands
on the West side of the islands costal erosion on the West side
is severe due to small costal sediment, this is the transition zone
which is semi-saline. The western side areas are exposed to
cyclones, storm surges, saltwater intrusion and costal inundation.
The severity of costal erosion depends on the frequency of
cyclone force winds that attack the islands, and costal currents
easily disturb and erode the costal sediments.

Increases in temperature outside of an ice age will also effect the

The table below summarises the climate change of vulnerability in
sea level since an increasing temperature will cause the ice sheets
several sectors in Tuvalu, these are national challenges that will be
to melt, putting more water in the sea. The shape of the ocean
exacerbated by climate change:
basins can change due to tectonic movement. If the ocean basins
become larger, the volume of the oceans becomes larger but the
 islands, and costal currents easily disturb and erode the costal
sediments.
Climate Change and Vulnerabilities in Several Sectors

The porous soil of Tuvalu has limited fertility, and support a new
General or Current Climate Change
Sectors range of food plants, unless the soils are artificially modified, it
Conditions Stressors or Risks
is a national challenge to increase the fertility of the soil, to
enhance the subsistence agriculture, to increase household income
Vulnerable to eustatic
Costal Vulnerable to through the selling of garden produce, conversely salination due to
sea level rise and
Zones overexploitation sea level rise and higher temperatures exacerbates stress to
temperature change
agriculture. Tuvalu has no surface water; therefore, it is currently

Vulnerable to Vulnerable to saltwater dependant on rainwater as its main source is collected in cisterns

Soil increasing waste intrusion and or tanks, previously water was extracted from groundwater stores,

dumping salinization but these stores have become polluted by saltwater intrusion and
waste leachate, and are therefore unavailable for human
Sewage and waste consumption. Water resources availability is exacerbated by
Sea level rise and
Water leachate climate change as the higher the temperatures the less water
salinization
contamination available, resulting in frequent water shortages. Funafuti, with the
highest population density, water scarcity is common, not only
Land / Sea level rise, altering during the dry season: (Jun Sept), but occasionally during the
Over-harvesting
Marine habitats wet season: (Oct Mar); a water resource served concluded that
water storage facilities are insufficient in meeting water demand
Sea level rise and
Agriculture Water shortages and needs. Increasing population size, means an increased
susceptible to flooding
susceptibility of waterborne diseases.

Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Coastal Freshwater lenses develop from rainfall seeping into ground. Due
Flooding and Storm Surges and Sea Level Rise: to its lighter weight, freshwater "floats" on top of salt water.
Thereby the formation of a lenticular water reservoir in the
Costal erosion is severe and predominantly active on the western
unconsolidated sediments develops. The area between freshwater
coastlines of Tuvalu; limited land resources make many terrestrial
and saltwater is marked by a transition zone of brackish water (a
and near-shore resources vulnerable to overexploitation, and
mixture of freshwater and saltwater). Smaller coral and limestone
discrete dumping of waste in land saltwater intrusion and water
islands particularly rely on these sources of freshwater in order to
logging due to climate change cause the deterioration of chemical
secure their drinking water supply. As a result, the frequent drilling
and biological properties of soils, and that has rapidly decreased
or digging of wells take place.
productivity of agricultural lands.

When the digging goes too deep, the transition zone is

Incidences of saltwater intrusion has increased overtime, and in
penetrated, whereby the saltwater contaminates the freshwater.
combination of the aridity of the soil; there is no major variation
Consequently, valuable sources of freshwater get lost. These
in the land or the types of soil in the island of Tuvalu, the soils are
sources of freshwater are also at the risk of salt water intrusions
generally non-structured, with a coarse structure and porous, the
through the infiltration of seawater caused by storm surges or the
sol is infertile and unsuitable for subsistence agriculture. Since
increase of the sea level.
much of the soil is sandy and acidic; high annual rainfall in
combination to soil porosity inhibits efforts to improve soil using Obvert-harvesting of some marine species has also reduced the
fertilisers and therefore agriculture production is limited. population size to vulnerable levels, the alteration of marine
habitats due to sea level rise and sea surface temperature change
Costal erosion on the West side is severe due to small costal
exacerbates stress on marine biological diversity. Spring tides and
sediment, this is the transition zone which is semi-saline. The
tropical cyclones are among the main extreme events that affect
western side areas are exposed to cyclones, storm surges, saltwater
Funafuti. As well as high winds and rainfall, tropical cyclones also
intrusion and costal inundation. The severity of costal erosion
cause storm surges and swells. The resulting flooding causes
depends on the frequency of cyclone force winds that attack the
agricultural losses, particularly of taro crops and damage to
buildings and roads along the coast.
What Is the Rate of Sea Level Rise:
As ocean water warms it expands causing the sea level to rise. The
melting of glaciers and ice sheets also contributes to sea-level rise.
Instruments mounted on satellites and tide gauges are used to
measure sea level. Satellite data indicate the sea level has risen
near Tuvalu by about 5 mm per year since 1993 (a total of 9 cm
over this period).
This is larger than the global average of 2.83.6 mm per year. This
higher rate of rise may be partly related to natural fluctuations that
take place year to year or decade to decade caused by phenomena
such as the El Nio Southern Oscillation.
How has Tuvalu Reduced Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Storm
Surges and Who was Involved:
Engineering Solutions:
The Increasing Resilience of Coastal Areas and Community
Settlements to Climate Change (2009-2016) project is the first
project that addresses NAPA priorities and designed to increase
the resilience of coastal community in all inhabited islands of
Tuvalu. A preliminary coastal assessment has been carried out in
the islands of Nukufetau and Nanumea, and it has identified a
range of coastal protection options including geo-textile container
revetments and ecosystem-based approaches such as coastal
vegetation. Building on this report, construction of a geo-textile
revetment along 390 m of coastline is expected to start in 2016
using the Tuvalu Climate Change and Survival Fund resources as
part of Cyclone Pam recovery work. This preliminary assessment
was one of the very few coastal assessments ever undertaken in the
country and offers an important basis for possible coastal
protection options that are technically feasible especially in the
outer island context. The Project for pilot gravel beach
nourishment against coastal disaster on Fongafale Island builds
on the findings from the Study for Assessment of Ecosystem,
Costal Erosion and Protection/Rehabilitation of Damaged Area in
Tuvalu conducted in 2009-2011.
In this study, beach nourishment was found as a potentially
appropriate coastal protection option and the project intends to
pilot test its effectiveness. It is expected that the investment will
cover 180m of a stretch in Funafuti and the construction has
recently commenced and that the effectiveness in terms of wave
energy dissipation and erosion control will be presented by 2017.
This project will offer an important option for the GCF project to
replicate once proven effective.
In addition to these donor-financed initiatives that present a basis
on which the proposed GCF project is built, the GoT has produced
a Tuvalu Tropical Cyclone Pam Report and Recovery and
Vulnerability Reduction Plan. It is a disaster recovery and
vulnerability reduction plan with key priorities for community
resilience building, risk reduction and preparation for future
disasters with identified financial gaps of US$60.6 million,
although sources of financing are yet to be identified. One of the
three priority areas are to support the construction and repair of
damaged infrastructure (coastal protection, sea walls, permanent
shelters and community infrastructures).
Global Campaigning:
Australia and New Zealand should allow open migration for
citizens of Pacific nations threatened by climate change, to boost
struggling island economies and prevent a later mass forced
migration, this suggests as one climate change adaptation
measure, open access migration from Tuvalu and Kiribati for
work and permanent settlement to Australia and New Zealand.
It forecasts, with open migration, about 1,300 Tuvaluans would
migrate to Australia and New Zealand annually, about 0.6% of
those countries combined annual permanent migration programs.
As resources become scarcer there will be increasing pressure of
Tuvaluans to migrate to other countries. The Government of New
Zealand has a limited immigration programme for Tuvaluan. To
date Tuvaluans who have availed themselves of this programme
have done so for economic and social reasons (e.g. employment
and family reunions). The reasons for migration are likely to
change in the near future as the impacts of climate change increase
and the viability of living in Tuvalu becomes more tenuous.
Although Tuvaluans may be powerless when it comes to reducing
a large enough quantity of greenhouse gas emissions to alter the
fate of their islands, they are, nonetheless, taking some actions on
the local, national, and international level to help minimise
impacts:
The small island nation also wants to eliminate the use of the
higher polluting Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and establish the
land as an ecotourism destination. A larger scale, Tuvalu has
begun a renewable energy program, with the help of Norwegian
consultants. The government is discussing the possibility of
eventually shifting the country's energy usage from fossil fuel to
the consumption of 100 percent renewable energy (ICE-PAC).
Tuvalu has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and plans on increasing
energy efficiency, utilizing new energy sources, and promoting
carbon sinks, in addition to decreasing vehicle emissions and using
new devices to help to encourage greenhouse gas emission
reduction (Faavae 2002). On the international level, Tuvalu,
along with 35 other island nations, formed, in 1990, the Alliance
of Small Island States specifically to lobby for their interests
regarding climate change.
Furthermore, Tuvalu has introduced measures to protect the
environment and natural resources like the following:
One effort the islanders have taken is the collection of rainwater
for drinking to help conserve the groundwater. The Environment
Unit and the Funafuti Kaupule (local island council) are working
with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and
other organizations to address the growing waste problem. Tuvalu
has limited environmental law in place to guide the appropriate
treatment and protection of the environment, or to control the
degradation of the environment. However, Tuvalus
Environment Protection Act (2007) was recently introduced and
provides some basis for developing the framework and
mechanisms necessary for responding to climate change. The
Environment Protection Act 2007 provides a framework for
environmental conservation, protection and management,
including climate change adaptation and mitigation,
environmental impact assessment, biodiversity conservation, and
management of solid, liquid and chemical wastes.
International Agencies (United Nations)
There are several steps that should be taken to ensure security and
climate change issues and the survival of Tuvalu. These measures
should include: there must be agreement in Copenhagen at the end
of this year to renew and enhance commitments under the Kyoto
Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases substantially to avoid a
higher than 1.5 Deg C increase above preindustrial levels.
The Copenhagen agreements should also agree on set of outcomes
relating to adaptation. This should include commitments for new
and additional financial resources to support the most vulnerable
countries adapt to the impacts of climate change. These financial
resources should be derived from new and innovative financial
resources, including a share of proceeds of emissions trading,
rather than the re-allocation of existing development assistance.
Regional centres for adaptation should be established in all regions
of the developing world and an international insurance mechanism
should be developed to assist the most vulnerable to recover from
the impacts of climate change.
The Security Council should recognise climate change as a global
security threat and therefore take immediate steps to maintain
international peace and security by means of establishing
permanent seats in the Council for countries most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the Council should
establish a special Committee on Security and Climate Change as
a means of assessing security threats associated with climate
change and to make recommendations to the UN General
Assembly on means to address these threats.
Potential Future Vulnerability of Tuvalu:
the future vulnerabilities of Tuvalu to climate change will depend
on the frequency and intensity of climate hazards such as tropical
cyclones, inundation, eustatic sea level rise, drought, etc. this
means that the severity of drought, including short and extended
period of low rainfall on the different islands of Tuvalu will
increase in the future. The growing population of Tuvalu is already
placing pressure on sensitive environments and major sources of
food security and livelihood, these effects are exacerbated by
adverse effects of climate and sea level rise for example eustatic
sea levels and extreme events. Given the low elevation and limited
area of Tuvalu, and the most direct and severe effect of climate
change will be increasing the effects of costal erosion flooding and
inundation. The magnitude of such effects will be determined by
the nature and extent of effects of climate change and sea-level
changes on coral reef eco-systems.
Other direct effects of climate change and sea-level changes will
include: an increase in the dengue fever risks and water borne
diseases and water borne diseases, which during the rainy season
develops a breeding ground; decreasing agricultural yields due
to the increasing salinity of groundwater, atmospheric heat and
increasing susceptibility of tropical cyclones; environmental and
socio-economic changes in association with climate change and
sea-level change, only serve to increase the magnitude of adverse
effects.
This internal migration, coupled with the expected population
increase of up to 26,000 by 2050, is anticipated to increase the
demand for the already less available land and resources. It is
expected to result in the overexploitation of both the land and the
sea for resources, force an importation of food, and therefore
increase solid waste pollution. The resulting changes or damages
to the ecosystems, would only intensify Tuvalu's vulnerability
toward the effects of inundation, flooding, and erosion. Tuvalu
may become uninhabitable as a result of climate change related
events such as: more severe cyclones, storm surges, coral reef
bleaching and acidification and drought.
Measurable changes in meteorological systems producing
stronger and more frequent storms; disruption of rainfall patterns;
rising sea temperatures all contribute to increased vulnerability
in every country in the world, and are particularly acute in the
fragile slivers of crowded land that make up atoll countries Tuvalu.

Conversely, in Tuvalu, recent programmes to provide 4,000-litre

water tanks to each household have proven successful, as has the
governments leading and vocal role in international negotiations
on climate change at Copenhagen and beyond. A new sea wall
being built by Japan stands a chance of greatly improving the
survival prospects of the capital Funafuti, home to half the
countrys population. Not a small effort for a country of only
10,000 inhabitants.

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