The assessment and decision to proceed with viable flood relief schemes takes into account how adaptable a proposed scheme might be to cope with the potential impacts of climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported that for a 1.5°C rise in temperature, the global mean sea level could rise by up to approximately 1 metre by 2100. These estimates, if realised, will have significant impacts on flooding and flood risk in Ireland due to rising sea levels, increased rainfall in winter, more heavy rain days and more intense storms.
In both our planning in the CFRAM Programme and in our delivery of major flood relief schemes that can be adaptable to climate change impact, the OPW uses the evidence from the IPCC and other authoritative sources, so that we project two possible scenarios that might arise in the future:
To make sure that the OPW has robust plans in place to monitor our work to meet the climate change challenges and potential impacts the OPW prepared a Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan for Flood Risk Management 2019 - 2024, in line with the requirements of the National Adaptation Framework and the Climate Action Plan 2019. The Sectoral Adaptation Plan, available here , was widely consulted upon and approved by Government in October 2019. The Sectoral Adaptation Plan includes a range of actions to meet the objectives of:
The Minister for State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief is required to provide to the Oireachtas a transition statement, giving an update of the actions taken to address climate change by the OPW in the past year. A copy of the Minister’s statement is available at www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2020-06-17/6/ .
To learn more about OPW’s approach to Climate Change and flooding visit Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan