Based around two specific meteorological issues, costal erosion and inland flooding, both associated with extreme weather events, teams will develop solutions and scenarios around how Ireland should prepare to adapt to these apparent changes. Should we fight or should we flight?

More about the project and goals

The team will look at environmental, social and economic aspects of the problem, explore different possible scenarios and develop solution and decision making tools.

The island of Ireland on the west coast of Europe has been described as an ‘ark’ in terms of Climate Change by some.  The predicated impacts appear to be modest with drier summers (interspersed with heavy rainfall) and wetter, milder winters (combined with increasingly veracious storm systems). 

However, for the inhabitants of Ireland their ‘ark’ is experiencing additional loss of coastal area and/or record breaking floods following record breaking rainfall.  These events are having environmental, social and economic impacts on their lives. 

Each year a debate returns on how we should cope, with two clear emotions on display; the need to protect a way of life for people living in these affected areas or the protection of the natural environment from government and non-governmental organisations.  Both emotions have environmental, social and economic implications.

The challenge for our society is to change using the principles of sustainable development, taking heed of environmental, social and economic aspects.  But how do we change?  Do we fight or do we flight?

Amongst other things, the project outcomes may include;

                             Communicate the problem

                             Propose solutions to how we adapt

                             Design decision making tools for change

Study areas

While students may have a specific study area, we aim to get a team that has one or more of the following elements.  A super team will have all three elements;

Evironmental sciences who understand the mechanisms causing change on our environment

Social sciences where participants recognise the impact slow or sudden changes have on society and our inherent response to these

Business and finance where decisions were once made on economic models, now we must think about other factors such as people and the natural world

Participants may have one or more of the following elements.  Alternatively they could have a background in an area that may be impacted by climate change such as farming, fishing or forestry.

Link:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskto8PjY