Kimmins opens conversation on Climate Change, Flood Risk and Development at round table event

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins opened a Climate Change, Flood Risk and Development Round Table event today.

The event, organised by the Department, was attended by around 100 delegates from a variety of organisations including developers, planners, public sector, environment and engineers.

Minister Kimmins said: “Weather may frequently be used as “small talk” but as we have all experienced in recent years, its impact is far from small. Recent changing weather patterns are bringing warmer temperatures, heavier rainfall and, as a result, an increase in flooding and flood risk.

“At the start of this year Storm Éowyn brought our first red warning here in the North and I witnessed at firsthand the devastating impact flooding can have on communities during the Autumn flooding in South Down in 2023. Since then, I've had the opportunity to meet with affected communities right across the North. Their stories, their resilience, and their ongoing challenges have left a lasting impression, which underscores the urgent need for action and support.

“We cannot control the weather - but we can take appropriate actions to mitigate the problems our changing climate can cause. We must all think about how we can best respond where viable, to changing weather patterns in a practical and innovative way, which is why Adapting to Climate is one of my department's seven Foundations for A Better future.”

Met Office Climate Scientist, Victoria Ramsey, who presented at the event said: “It is clear from our observations that our climate is changing, and this is true for Northern Ireland too. We're seeing increasing temperatures, autumn and winter seasons have become wetter and we're seeing an increase in disruptive weather. This trend is projected to continue, with hotter drier summers and milder wetter winters. Extremes will also change, with more intense rainfall bringing the risk of flash flooding while summer maximum temperatures are projected to increase too.

“There are two strands to responding to climate change, we need to mitigate against the worst impacts by reducing the emissions of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere and we need to adapt to ensure we're protected from the changes that have already happened and to what we can expect in the future because of our historical emissions.”

Minister Kimmins concluded: “While we continue to look at innovative ways to protect our existing infrastructure, we also have to ensure that new developments are built to cope with the demands of our climate. Nature-based solutions can help manage rainwater more naturally to reduce flood risk and pollution so we need to look at how these can be incorporated into new developments.

“Bringing together around 100 stakeholders from the water and flood risk management sector today provided an opportunity to have these vital, strategic conversations that will help inform and shape the actions we take to help mitigate the risk to our communities now and for future generations. I look forward to hearing the feedback from these conversations as we seek to find new ways to live with our changing climate.”