We have to recognise that climate change is real

The news last week highlighted the widespread destruction in Palestine and Israel as the people there face the terrifying reality of all-out war and invasion. Air raid sirens wail in both countries as bombs fall on the people. The prolonged conflicts in these areas serve as a stark reminder of how interventions, though crucial, often take far too long to yield results, a bit like the climate crisis we find ourselves in here in Ireland and throughout the rest of the world.

We were warned and are being warned every day of the week that the climate is changing, the planet is getting warmer, and we must make changes to try and protect the world in which we live.

Originally it was the hole in the ozone layer and the damage caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) to the atmosphere. These were found in aerosol sprays, solvents, and the gases in fridges etc. The world acted and we no longer use them. That was the first small step, the low hanging fruit, but the planet is still getting hotter, and Ireland is getting wetter as more rain falls and storms start to become the norm.

Last week we saw the destruction in County Cork, and we were shocked, we stood back and said that’s awful, the town of Midleton was destroyed as the main street of the town transformed into a torrent, washing away everything in its path.

Businesses suffered substantial losses as floodwaters ruined shops and their stock.

This wasn’t the first time that many of these businesses were affected and because of that flood insurance is not available to the businesses. They lost thousands but there’s no insurance to cover that loss and to make things worse there have been talks about putting flood defences in place. It hasn’t happened yet and there are excuses being shared, including that people are objecting to the defences and as a result everything is slowed down. If it was a priority, then government would have found a solution one would imagine.

While there is no doubt that climate change is at the heart of the problem there are also other contributary factors to the flooding. More rain falls but as we continue to expand our urban areas, we take away lots of areas of soakage. We cover the ground with concrete and tarmacadam and consequently, rainwater struggles to find outlets because floodplains, once available, have vanished.

To make things worse we have situations all over where drains are blocked, rivers are choked with weeds and accumulations of silt, flows are slowed down and yet the water keeps appearing it must go somewhere.

In this part of Ireland, we know what happens when a blockage appears on a river. Everybody living near the Shannon Callows area of Athlone is familiar with the impact that Parteen Weir can have on them. They know that if Ardnacrusha is not opened and the river is high then the upper Shannon area is in danger of flooding.

Here in West Roscommon, I remember as a child the awful floods we used to have on the road to Ballyhaunis at the area known as The Lochan. I remember cars getting stuck there as the waters entered engines and they just stopped.

The Board of Works carried out the Boyle Bonnet drainage scheme in the 80’s and 90’s and our area has never looked back. The Lochan doesn’t flood, and people don’t get stuck. Now however I fear some of the work is being lost as I don’t think the maintenance is being continued. In addition, some of the remediation works for angling was never properly concluded. Rivers don’t just take water; they also support life. They are homes to so many ecosystems and I sometimes think that people forget the real importance of these rivers and drains.

We have all seen the significant change in our weather. In Loughglynn there has been a steady increase in rainfall over the years. According to Met. Eireann the average rainfall in Loughglynn between 1981- 2010 was 1280.2mm. The average rainfall from 2011- 2022 has been 1349.2mm per year. Farmers, gardeners and footballers this year could tell you that the ground was wet all year, fields, lawns and pitches are softer, horse trainers cry about the going being soft even in the middle of the summer.

So what can we do? First we must recognise that Climate change is real and we can all do something to overcome it. A bit like eating an elephant one bite at a time. The advent of solar and wind power generation is reducing the amount of oil and coal being burnt to produce electricity, reducing green house gases. We’re all thinking more about the environment that’s a good thing.

As important and definitely something that can be done much more quickly is that government introduce a policy and action plan on flood defences with greater urgency. Rivers should all be assessed and works carried out that allow water to flow and are done in a way that does not damage the various ecosystems in our waterways. A drain cleaning operation is also required as is the cleaning, repair and upgrading of storm drains in our towns. Flooding must be seen to be an important issue and prevention a priority.

Water will find its own level, let’s help it to do so away from our homes and businesses.