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Scale of Threat from Coastal Erosion in Ireland is Immense, Report Finds
🇮🇪 Ireland /Environment & Climate

Scale of Threat from Coastal Erosion in Ireland is Immense, Report Finds

From RTÉ News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Coastal erosion in Ireland poses an immense threat, with nearly 2,300 properties and 570 kilometers of roads at risk in just eight surveyed counties.
  • A report urges the government to establish legal and financial mechanisms for relocating homes and infrastructure, stating that coastal erosion is no longer an unforeseen outcome.
  • Experts emphasize the need for planned relocation, viewing it as a public health and social justice priority, and warn that proactive adaptation is cheaper than inaction.

The scale of the threat from coastal erosion in Ireland is immense, with homeowners potentially facing displacement and the government urged to implement urgent legal and financial measures for relocation. A working paper commissioned by the Climate Change Advisory Council from the University of Galway highlights that the science and warnings have been clear for decades, and coastal erosion can no longer be dismissed as an unforeseen event.

homeowners simply cannot be left to "be washed away"

— University of Galway reportHighlighting the urgent need for government intervention regarding coastal erosion.

Surveys conducted in only eight of Ireland's 19 coastal counties reveal that nearly 2,300 properties and 570 kilometers of roads are currently at risk. Projections indicate that the number of exposed properties could double by 2050. The report stresses the necessity for the government to begin planning the relocation of people, houses, commercial properties, roads, bridges, rail lines, ports, harbors, telecommunication networks, utility plants, and even graveyards due to the potential devastation from rising sea levels.

the science has been clear for decades, the warnings have been widely available, and the Government and communities can no longer regard coastal erosion as an unforeseen outcome.

— University of Galway reportEmphasizing that the risks of coastal erosion are well-documented and predictable.

Lead author Dr. Eugene Farrell stated that implementing "planned relocation" from eroding coastlines is not optional and requires immediate, decisive adaptive action. The report advocates for a rapid shift in focus from merely monitoring coastal erosion to urgently implementing a national coastal erosion masterplan. It suggests that relocation should be approached through a human rights lens, fundamentally as a public health and social justice priority.

implementing "planned relocation" from eroding coastlines is not optional and that decisive adaptive action is required immediately.

— Dr Eugene FarrellThe lead author stressed the urgency of adaptive measures.

Previous research has estimated potential damages from sea level rise in Ireland to be as high as €2 billion annually by 2050 and €7 billion by 2100. The current report argues that investing upfront in coastal adaptation will be significantly cheaper than the long-term costs of inaction. The lack of a binding framework for retreat leaves the state vulnerable to the inevitable natural process of erosion.

relocation should be viewed through a human rights lens and fundamentally as a public health and social justice priority.

— University of Galway reportFraming the necessity of relocation beyond environmental concerns.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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