Sir, – Given the ongoing impact of recent flooding arising mainly from rainfall events, it is timely to consider whether the current focus on flood defence walls, “interim measures” and weather warnings, is well directed.
Many of the areas that are currently suffering the effects of river flooding are areas that have experienced flooding in the past, often on multiple occasions.
Climate change is resulting in rainfall events that are more extreme and more frequent, so these same areas are at increased risk in the future.
The OPW has carried out a national and detailed analysis of all river catchments and identified those areas most at risk and these are mapped and available online.
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While “hard-engineered” solutions such as flood defence walls have a role, it is neither feasible nor desirable that all of our rivers, as they pass through our towns, should be surrounded by high walls.
Unfortunately, there is rarely any focus on the more realistic policies that could greatly alleviate the impact of future flood events on urban areas. These lie within the area of “flood resilience” whereby properties that lie within known flood risk areas and that have a history of flooding can be adapted, with the assistance of appropriate government grants, so that, when they do flood, the consequences are much reduced.
Such adaptations include appropriate flooring and wall treatment, relocation of low level electrical services and the provision of flood gates and waterproof covers to all openings.
Our urban areas should also be adapted for the new climate regime by replacing hard surfacing where possible with soft surfacing designed to absorb and slow runoff as well as provide treatment to reduce the level of pollutants in that runoff from reaching the river.
In this country, climate adaptation is not given the attention it deserves. Unlike the practice in other countries, the national sectoral climate adaptation plans published by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment do not include a sector covering the unique requirements of our urban areas.
The Government position is that this can be dealt with by the 31 different local authorities through their individual climate action plans.
A national approach to urban adaptation is required with appropriate government long-term funding, similar to what is in place to support property retrofits aimed at energy use reduction.
Unless we change our focus to adapt our urban properties and urban design to reduce the impact of those future floods that we know will happen, the level of damage and suffering caused to urban residents and businesses, particularly those in areas of particular flood risk, will continue. -Yours etc.
ADRIAN P CONWAY,
Chartered engineer,
Co Meath
Sir, – The recent flooding in Enniscorthy and Graiguenamanagh is very distressing for all affected but Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s assurances ring hollow. Barriers and other strategies will not fix the underlying problem of climate change so the situation is set to get worse not better.
Ireland is producing agricultural emissions of about 37.7 per cent of total greenhouse gases. Methane, the byproduct of animal farming, is an incredibly powerful gas and once in the atmosphere, it is a staggering 80 times more powerful in trapping heat than carbon dioxide. We have shamefully missed our climate targets by more than 50 per cent so unless Micheál Martin and his colleagues actually make some real changes to the underlying cause, then these flood barriers are the equivalent of “the little boy putting his finger in the dyke.” – Yours, etc,
JOAN BURGESS,
Annmount,
Cork.
