To better prepare for climate change, Bude, a coastal town in Cornwall has been awarded nearly £2m in funding.
The grant for Bude and 10 surrounding parishes came from the National Lottery’s climate action fund.
Bude’s coastline is vulnerable to rising sea levels and the county is likely to see some of the UK’s highest future sea level increases, Cornwall Council has said.
The funding aims at making Bude a “sustainable tourist destination”, building resilience against climate change and helping the community to develop a plan to tackle the threat of sea level rises.
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“We’ve already seen the effects of climate change in Bude’s record temperatures for the South West last summer and Storm Eunice’s toppling of the iconic tree in the heart of our town, seen on national and international TV news bulletins last winter,” said programme director Robert Uhlig.
Mr Uhlig said Bude’s coastline and wildlife were central to the town’s prosperity.
“With 70% of local businesses dependent on tourism, it’s imperative in a rapidly changing climate that we work together to ensure the sustainability of a sector that employs 40% of our workforce and defines our way of life,” he said.
Another project will fund an energy adviser to provide free advice to residents on making their homes more energy efficient.
Nick Gardner, head of the climate action at National Lottery’s community fund, said: “Communities have a big role to play in tackling climate change locally and ultimately helping to move the UK towards net zero.”
Story was adapted from the BBC.
