Ireland risks New Orleans-style disaster

IRELAND could be facing a New Orleans-style disaster by ignoring trends in climate change and population shifts.

The National Spatial Strategy, which identifies areas for urban expansion, took no account of the effects of climate change and must be updated, an expert warned.

Dr John Sweeney, lecturer in geography at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, told a conference that sea levels were expected to rise by at least 40cm by the year 2080, yet this appeared to have little impact on planning for housing, transport and other essential services.