The United — Changing — Kingdom:
How Climate Change is Transforming London
The major part of this analysis is the Greater London, which covers an area of 1,570 km2.
Approximately 14 million people live in the metropolitan area of London, which corresponds to
an average of approximately 4,000 people / km2. An important characteristic of the city is the
high proportion of foreigners. With 27% of immigrants, London has a high proportion of
immigrants compared to other cities and thus a defining social structure. Despite these
uncertainties, prognosticate that the south-east of Britain will experience warmer and wetter
winters as well as hotter and drier summers. In addition, the frequency and intensity of extreme
weather events will increase. This includes severe rain events, heat waves, floods and wind
storms. According to the adaptation strategy for the metropolitan area of London, risk
management measures can be divided into four areas: precaution, preparation, reaction and
reconstruction.
The natural location is influenced by the River Thames flowing through London from the
West to the East, and from a historical point of view a much broader river that regularly flooded
the flat countryside. With an altitude of 5 to 18 meters above sea level, London is endangered to
heavy floods. Despite the often changing climate due to the nearby North Sea and the influence
of the West wind zone, the South-East of England is one of the sunniest and driest areas in the
UK with about 1,000 mm of rainfall per year. The temperatures are moderate due to the oceanic
influence. Although the city of London has not been exposed to extreme weather events under
the mild climatic conditions so far, urban development and the map of this megacity are facing
major challenges in terms of climate change. The outbreak of extreme weather phenomena is
coined especially by the London Tornado of 2006, the heat wave from 2003 or the heavy
snowfall of 2009 (Greater London Authority 2008). The adaptation process will be clarified in
the following, after a more detailed analysis of climate change in London and the vulnerability.
Among the dangers to which London is exposed are, in particular, flooding. These can be
caused by (a) tides caused by the tides, the River Thames and its tributaries, (b) the occurrence of
violent precipitation events, (c) the overflowing of sewer systems, or (d) rising groundwater
levels. Nearly 15% of London’s area is located in areas that are vulnerable to flooding. Droughts
are triggered in the Greater London by a lack of rain. As the droughts are growing during
London, the water needs of the population as well as the industrial and agricultural sectors are
increasing. However, this increased water requirement can no longer be covered by the water
