The role of facility management in climate change

The issue of climate change has continued to take center stage in global politics and Africa remains the most vulnerable continent. Climate change refers to adverse changes in climate patterns, causing floods, droughts and higher temperatures.

As a result of climate change, temperature in Africa is projected to rise between 1.5C – 3.0C by 2050, warming more than all other continents and increase in flooding with adverse complications for the over 56 million people living in the 320 coastal cities in Africa, including Lagos and Port Harcourt.

There will be additional water stress with less access to water as well as ongoing energy challenges. Unfortunately, Africa is the least equipped to deal with the adverse effects of climate change because of its high levels of poverty, low levels of technology to adapt and little development indicators.

In recognition of the severity of these issues, governments and international community are working to position Africa to deal with the challenges and turn them into opportunities.

Climate change has an impact on all sectors and the area of focus in this article is to explore the link between climate change and facilities management. For a start, changes in weather have an impact on buildings and facilities, and how, inevitably, this affects the value of such assets in the future.

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There are three main roles that facilities managers can play to mitigate against climate change –undertake vulnerability risk assessments of existing facilities to see how they are structured to respond to threats posed by climate change; support the development of new structures and buildings for the future in a way that will respond to climate change; and, develop disaster management plans for facilities to respond to negative changes in the climate.

On the vulnerability risk assessment, facility managers need to review if buildings are in areas where they are prone to effects of climate change (flooding and higher temperatures for example, two issues that are already obvious in a city like Lagos where most organizations driving Nigeria’s economic growth are located), and other environmental risks and develop a plan on the severity of the risks, and what could be done to mitigate against such risks.

This vulnerability assessment will include how the buildings can be managed, the type of tenants suitable for such buildings and additional support required to ensure minimal damage when and if flooding occurs.

A look at drainage systems, protection of building and in effect, the furniture and goods within such facilities are necessary as part of the assessment. Facility managers will need the use of efficient energy including solar energy, and changing of design of buildings to ensure more natural ventilation and less reliance on use of air-conditioning.

As Africa remains a giant construction site, with many buildings still being built or to be built, facility managers have a role to play in supporting the design of such buildings by ensuring sound decision making on energy conservation, access to water due to increased water stress, integrating technology or facilitating partnerships that safeguards such built environments are not put up in areas prone to flooding.

Facility managers have a role to play in disaster management as a result of climate change. In case of an emergency, the first consideration is what will be needed to keep key operations of the clients going – availability of electricity and water, and to ensure that there is a reserve that will not be affected by weather. Facility managers in this kind of environment must also have in place emergency teams that can be deployed very quickly to respond to different needs as they arise.