Hampshire To Be Heatwave Pioneer In How To Handle Global Warming

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 20th Aug 2003

Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne today welcomed £1.7 million of European funding for a new project that will turn Hampshire into a pioneer in how to handle heatwaves from global warming.

Chris Huhne, Hampshire's Liberal Democrat MEP, said: 'After this summer's heatwave, this scheme cannot come a moment too soon. It will put Hampshire in the forefront of european efforts to examine what we need to do to adjust to climate change.

'The emphasis will be on practical steps to examine changes in planning policy to ensure that homes are not vulnerable to flash floods and wide variations in temperature. We also need to look at how much water we will need as temperatures rise' Mr Huhne said.

'The project will help to make local authorities understand the implications of global warming for everything from ventilation requirements for new housing to the type of tarmac and steel rails that can resist heatwaves of the sort we have had this summer' said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne welcomed the project which will be led by Hampshire county council, and half funded by the European Union. Other partners include the Dutch Ministry of Housing and the Bavarian Board of water management as well as Surrey and West Sussex county councils.

'This is exactly the sort of project that can best be done internationally because we all face a common problem, and there is no point in reinventing the wheel over and over again if you can do it just once' said Mr Huhne.

The total budget of £3.4 million will be spent over four years beginning next month (September) on staff, travel, and commissioning of expert scientific studies.

'None of this means that we should give up our efforts to stop global warming altogether' said Mr Huhne. 'The EU is still pressing other nations to sign up to the Kyoto protocol limiting carbon emissions, and it will enter into force if Russia signs this year. But we need to be realistic about how to adapt given that global warming will continue for many years thanks to the emissions that have already occurred'.

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