Sir, – The ongoing flooding highlights the very real impacts of climate change, the effects of poor planning, and an absence of adequate infrastructure. Perhaps this Government and future governments may reflect on the important role of geography as the discipline uniquely placed to provide a critical understanding of these issues and the potential solutions. – Yours, etc,
Dr RICHARD SCRIVEN,
Ballinlough, Cork.
Sir, – While the large-scale flooding being experienced by Ireland is partly a result of man-made global climate change, where the warming of the atmosphere is leading to ever more stormy weather and heavy rainfall across northwestern Europe, it is also due to the serious loss of natural habitats such as bogs, wetlands and flood-plain meadows that soak up and retain water.
There is the added problem in our rural countryside of compacted soil caused by intensive grazing and other modern farming practices, as well as increased urbanisation characterised by concrete and tarmac surfaces that do not absorb rainwater. Rivers are becoming ever more disconnected from their natural floodplains by land reclamation and the construction of defences that include forcing water into narrower channels that will inevitably overflow or burst their banks in this new era of high rainfall.
Our politicians and the National Emergency Co-ordination Group have to realise that more flood-walls, culverts and canals are expensive solutions that in many cases are doomed to failure. Sustainable flood relief can only come about by making more space for water and not less, which is sadly what we have been doing for too long. Building on flood-plains against expert advice merely to satisfy the demands of landowners and property speculators was one of the biggest political errors of the last few decades and which is now coming back to haunt us.
There is now an urgent need to transform radically our approach by developing a new strategy to work with nature and not against it. As well as restoring riverine reedbeds, marshes, callows, bogs and coastal wetlands, the State needs to aid local communities and landowners in implementing a nationwide policy of native tree-planting to create forests and woodlands, including in urban areas, as we are doing in Galway city through the Terryland Forest Park, where nearly 100,000 trees have been planted by a partnership of the city council, environmentalists, schools and residents groups since 2000. Scientific research shows that one large tree can lift up to 100 gallons of water out of the ground and discharge it into the air. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN SMITH,
Galway.
Sir, – Why are we storing winter rains in a river that is low-lying and prone to serious flooding? The main reason seems to be that the ESB can have summer water reserves for a minor power station that would never get built in today’s Ireland.
Ardnacrusha produces no more than 0.8 per cent of our annual electricity needs.
There have been many expensive studies on Shannon flooding. Has there ever been a study on the feasibility of decommissioning Ardnacrusha? – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS FENNESSY,
Ballinkina,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – Further to Paul Kelly's letter (January 4th), I would not for a moment underestimate the feelings of all those whose lives have been utterly traumatised by the flooding. However, if we cannot have a momentary smile in the midst of disaster then we are truly in trouble.
I would also not assume that Enda Kenny was unaware or indifferent simply because he did not appear at every flood site.
Photo opportunities at difficult situations are politics at its worst. – Yours, etc,
PAULA MOLLOY,
Baldoyle,
Dublin 13.