Sir, - As flooding becomes more frequent and severe across Ireland, it is increasingly clear that towns and villages cannot rely on concrete walls alone for defence. Prof Mary Bourke of Trinity College Dublin and other experts have consistently pointed out that flood risk must be addressed at catchment scale, by slowing and storing water upstream before it reaches communities.
This inevitably brings the farming community into the conversation. Many of the most effective nature-based flood-mitigation measures – such as restoring wetlands, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, improving soil structure or allowing controlled flooding of suitable land – can only happen on farmland. Farmers therefore have a vital role to play in protecting downstream homes and businesses.
However, this role must be properly recognised and fairly compensated. Farmers cannot be expected to shoulder the cost, risk or loss of productive land in the wider public interest without meaningful support. If agricultural land is used to temporarily store floodwater to protect towns, that service should be paid for, just as other public goods are.
There is a clear opportunity to align flood mitigation with existing EU and national frameworks, such as the Common Agricultural Policy and schemes like the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme. Targeted agri-environment payments, multiannual stewardship agreements and capital grants for flood-mitigation works could reward farmers for delivering measurable reductions in flood risk, while providing certainty around income, insurance and liability.
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Done properly, this would be a win-win: communities gain protection, taxpayers avoid ever-escalating engineering costs and farmers are recognised as partners rather than obstacles in climate adaptation. What is missing is not the science, but the political will to connect flood policy, agricultural policy and community protection into a single, coherent approach. - Yours, etc,
CLLR LEONARD KELLY,
Clonard,
Co Wexford.
Sir, - Over the last two weeks, many people have lived nightmares of fear and loss due to flooding. My heart goes out to them.
The freshwater pearl mussel has been mentioned as a cause for the worst floods to hit Enniscorthy. Only for that mollusc, they say, people would have sat nice and dry behind their flood walls, with the Slaney thundering past. What a stretch of the truth.
Preparatory work on the Enniscorthy flood-relief scheme of 2008 started well. The research and range of options presented to the public was expansive. However, the final pick of hard engineering measures as the solution wasn’t just a threat to the freshwater pearl mussel; it fell foul of nature and water law all over the place.
The planned dredging, along with a 1.2km canal construction and infill of vital floodplain and flood-protection walls, would have had severe impacts on the river and its biota. It is to the then-government’s credit that they sent it back to the OPW to revise on environmental grounds. The allocated money was kept in place.
The delay in coming up with a new, environmentally acceptable scheme cannot be blamed molluscs – even if it’s convenient as they can’t vote or speak.
Now to the opportunity.
Last summer, every local authority in Ireland designated their first DZ (Decarbonising Zone) as the space for innovative ideas, projects and schemes to reduce our carbon footprint, adapt to climate change and act as a model and inspiration to others.
County Wexford chose Enniscorthy as their DZ. Around the same time, the River Slaney catchment was selected by the Local Authority Waters Programme as one of five catchments nationally to pioneer new ways of management and restoration with informed stakeholder participation.
As citizens and authorities jointly, this is the time to design and implement a healthy Slaney flood-relief mosaic which addresses flood risk to houses and businesses, improves water quality and restores biodiversity.
Many of those who live in the Slaney catchment, including some hit badly by flooding, have made proposals in recent days which are spot on. The proposals include creating and restoring water-holding and slow-release “nature-based solutions”, as well as Government buyout of those in the most at-risk low-lying areas, with sufficient financial support to buy or build on higher ground.
We could learn from solutions in other countries like the Netherlands, which developed strong climate-change adaptation measures based on the mantra of “give the river space”. - Yours, etc,
KARIN DUBSKY,
Coastwatch,
Ballymoney,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – What connects floods, flying and the Minister for Climate, Energy, Environment and Transport, Darragh O’Brien?
Flooding is increasing due to climate change. Flying is the single most detrimental activity in terms of climate effects. O’Brien wants to increase flying by removing the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
Is this what’s called joined-up thinking? - Yours, etc,
CELESTINE O’REILLY
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.
