Monday 23 July 2012

Defra offers prize fund for climate change adaptation

British scientists could win £100,000 to develop their designs to protect the UK’s transport links, power stations, water treatment plants and wi-fi networks against the threats of climate change.

Defra is offering a total prize fund of £400,000 to four winners in a new competition launched by Environment Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach today.

Lord Taylor said: “Roads, railways and our wi-fi networks are the building blocks of our economy and we need them to stand up to what climate change can throw at it. We have seen weeks of heavy rain and flooding across the country which we know is the sort of extreme weather we have to expect in future due to climate change.”

The competition follows a recent Defra report which found that in the coming years flood risks to buildings and infrastructure could rise to between £2.1 billion to £12 billion by 2080s, while energy demands for cooling buildings and IT will increase as temperatures are projected to rise.

Applicants must be in a position to start their design work by October 2012. This competition will be run by the Technology Strategy Board with funding from Defra.