Farmers in front line as climate changes approach Ireland
Extra feeding for grazing livestock in the more frequent summer droughts, and irrigation in the south and east are also expected.
Drier summers may hit potato yields, but substantial increases in spring barley and maize yields are projected.
“Many of the climate change impacts identified for Ireland will occur irrespective of policy decisions taken in Ireland or even in Europe over the next few decades,” said Dr Mary Kelly, Director General of the EPA.
She explained that only small reductions will be possible in the next few decades in the amounts of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which are causing climate change.
EPA figures indicate that in 2001, greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland were already 31% beyond 1990 levels.
Dr Kelly said, “Were the rest of the world to follow a similar trajectory, the impacts highlighted in this study would be felt almost immediately and be much more acute by mid-century than has been suggested”.
Based on esearch led by Dr John Sweeney of the Department of Geography, NUI, Maynooth, the report also indicates that rainfall will increase by up to 10%, although summer rainfall will decrease by up to 40% along parts of the south and east coasts.
