New Local Climate Change Guidelines Published

New Local Authority Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Guidelines have been published by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Denis Naughten.

The guidelines, which were prepared on behalf of the Environment Protection Agency by UCC, are designed to assist local authorities to develop local climate change adaptation strategies, which will assess local vulnerability to climate risks and identify, cost and prioritise adaptation actions.

Speaking at the launch in the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone, the Minister Naughten said: "Climate change is rightly gaining increasing recognition as the global challenge of our generation and this recognition is reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government which has identified Climate Change as a policy area requiring radical and ambitious evaluation and action."

The Minister pointed out that potential impacts for Ireland are serious: "...storm surge events may increase in frequency; there is likely to be increased flows to river catchments; sea level may rise; and rainfall amounts may increase in winter and decrease in summer. These changes, in turn, will impact on a number of sectors including agriculture, energy, infrastructure and water resources. The challenge for policy-makers is to understand these climate change impacts and to develop and implement policies to ensure an optimal level of response by way of adaptation."

The purpose of the guidelines is to support local authorities in the development of adaptation strategies which will allow for a long term and planned view to be taken of the challenges that climate change poses and of the adaptation and other measures that need to be taken.

(MH/LM)