Flood protection - Our habits must change

INCREASING numbers of people have been forced to come to terms with the devastation floods can cause and it seems, that no matter what we do, more and more of us will find ourselves in that situation.

Climate change may be the primary reason – as a wet and windy July confirms – but there are other reasons too. We have built on flood plains where there should never have been building, we have sometimes inappropriately dredged rivers and extensive forestry and paving in urban areas must play a part too.

Minister at the Office of Public Works Martin Mansergh said we will spend the next 15 years investing in flood relief programmes but we need to do more. We must adjust our planning and development ambitions to this new reality and accept that we cannot always shape nature to our needs.