Sir, – Your call for more urgent action on flood defences is timely and justified, but you are not going to achieve the called-for change in public attitudes if you continue to perpetuate the outdated myth that this is all about “defences” (“The Irish Times view on Ireland’s flood defences: more urgency is needed”, November 17th).
Ireland’s first Coastal Change Management Strategy Report, published by the Office of Public Works on October 26th, makes it very clear that what is required is an “adaptation” to coastal change. This requires a shift from seeing what is needed as a “battle” against the sea or rivers (requiring “defence”) toward recognising that we must focus on restoring and maintaining our natural flood and coastal defences which we have lost over time, largely due to our own actions. Working with nature to restore a situation that provides us with multiple benefits (including flood protection) is now widely known to be a much more sustainable, win-win solution for all affected.
The language really must change from flood “defence” towards flood “adaptation”. – Yours, etc,
Prof IRIS MÖLLER,
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Professor of Geography,
Trinity College Dublin,
Dublin 2.