Gort, Salthill and City Centre most at risk of flooding

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Written by Christina Hession

Wednesday, 07 February 2007

Gort, Salthill and streets in Galway City Centre are most at risk in the event of severe flooding caused by climate change, according to an expert in NUI, Galway's Environmental Change Institute.

Professor John Simmie said while it was hard to predict what is going to happen, it is likely the weather will get worse.

Commenting on The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment, climatologist Rowan Fealy from NUI, Maynooth said, "Last November we saw significant flooding along the West coast caused by heavy rainfall over a long time period. We have seen floods in Galway City because of an increase in rainfall flowing into the river. When it has nowhere to go it is basically going to flood. This will increase as we move along the century," he said.

Scientists have predicted that the amount of run-off water going into Irish rivers will increase by 60 per cent by the end of the century. This will lead to swellings of the River Corrib, among other Irish rivers.

The scientific report from the IPCC said global temperatures would rise by two to four per cent by the end of the century, leading to the melting of ice caps and other extreme weather features. In Ireland, this will mean increased rainfall, rising sea levels and more storm surges, leading to the over flowing of rivers and the resultant flooding of cities.

IPCC contributor, John Sweeney from NUI Maynooth, said, "Dublin, Cork, Limerick and even parts of Galway need to re-think their coastal defences as a result of this report."

Mayor of Galway City, Niall O Brolcháin, noted that RPS Consultants engaged by the Council to do a report on the coastal erosion scheme has taken climate change into account. He believes that Galway City Council should factor this in if a full-scale re-development of South Park is necessary. Mayor O Brolcháin also believes that the council should consider measures to deal with flooding in Galway City centre streets.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman from Galway City Council noted that current projects being prepared for city, including the four-kilometre walk from the promenade to the end of Silver Strand, has taken climate change into account.

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