Analysis: nearly half of Irish farmers along the Atlantic coast surveyed say they have been affected already by extreme weather events

By Edel Doherty, NUI Galway; Sinead Mellett, Athlone Institute of Technology; Denis O’Hora, NUI Galway and Mary Ryan, Teagasc

International agreements such as the Paris Agreement established ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit the amount of human-induced climate change. However, it is unlikely that reducing emissions will be enough and it is important that local communities learn to adapt and manage risks from challenging and changing climate conditions.

For example, communities in the Atlantic area face challenges from changing temperatures and rainfall patterns, sea level rises and the impact of extreme climate events (such as storms, flooding and droughts) that could interrupt agricultural activity. To address these challenges, the RiskAquaSoil project aims to develop a comprehensive plan to manage risks in soil and in water to improve the resilience of the Atlantic rural areas to climate change and other threats. Continue reading…