A recent report by the Academy of Engineers emphasised the pressing need for Ireland to adapt its critical infrastructure around future climate change impact. Its ideas are likely to be quickly adopted by planning authorities and are likely, in turn, to be hugely influential in determining what specific infrastructure projects by the private and public sectors will secure future development consents here.

The Report entitled “Critical infrastructure: Adaptation for Climate Change” is timely in light of recent weather and flooding extremes and is the most authoritative call yet in Ireland for strategic planning for infrastructure to take account of climate change issues. The report reviews climate change modelling for Ireland and is emphatic that “climate change will dramatically affect Ireland, far beyond what we can currently comprehend.”

The Report addresses adaptation issues in three main areas: water, flood alleviation and energy infrastructure.

Amongst the eighteen core recommendations are the following:

• An all-island statutory adaptation plan to reflect the joint work of a lead agency in each of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (the EPA and the Environment Agency respectively would be suitable bodies according to the Report);
• A comprehensive review of engineering design standards: engineers, climate change researchers and planners urgently need to collaborate to identify the climate parameters critical to future infrastructure design;
• Regarding water supply (brought into sharp focus with the recent contamination and disruption to the Cork City Supply) – the Report calls for establishing water resource authorities, planning for future water supply and demand here, a complete future risk assessment for water quality and (likely to be highly contentious in the future) pricing for water as well as prioritising supplies in an era of unequal seasonal and geographic water distribution in Ireland;
• Flood alleviation: the Report emphasises the need for a robust methodology around flood plain delineation and rigorous prohibition of inappropriate development in areas subject to high flooding; and
• On energy supplies, the Report highlights the vulnerability of power stations from flooding, and added power requirements for pumping for water supplies, waste water disposal, irrigation and increased need for air conditioning.

This Report brings together knowledge on climate change impact with the issue of current deficiencies in infrastructure design and planning in Ireland. In addition to calling for urgent national strategic planning for climate change adaptation and design to bring us into line with other countries this Report cannot be ignored by planners and by private infrastructure project developers in Ireland. It signals that in future those infrastructure projects that reflect climate change impact in design and in land use planning terms will have a significant advantage in securing development consent.