Waterford is working with nature to ride out climate change
Battered by wind and waves from the Celtic Sea, Waterford is at the forefront of Ireland’s battle with climate change.
Coastal erosion along the Copper Coast and up to Tramore and Dunmore East is transforming the landscape, with the potential in years to come of land loss due to the power of the ocean. Inland, the county faces an uphill challenge to cope with the ever increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
Storm Éowyn brought significant disruption and dangerous conditions to Waterford in January, with heavy rains causing power outages, making roads impassable, downing trees and even causing landslides.
Gráinne Kennedy, climate action co-ordinator with Waterford City and County Council, said more work will have to be done to protect the natural systems that reduce the impact of storms, such as sand dunes.
“To do this we must change how we see different natural spaces to avoid damaging them,” Ms Kennedy said.
The council is also looking at upgrading and greening up the social housing stock, tackling the double hit of tenants suffering from energy poverty while having to heat their homes using traditional fossil fuels.
“Often people are paying, in some areas of Waterford city in particular, the highest rate on their energy. We’re trying to upgrade those buildings to improve the health and well-being of the people, and also to reduce emissions,” Ms Kennedy said.
Reducing emissions has to be matched with further preparations for climate change. Part of that is investment in roads and bridges, but also examining which parts of the city may be prone to water run-off or overheating.
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It’s a vast, complex task running across all council departments.
“We have these heavier downpours of rain that we didn’t really have before,” Ms Kennedy said. “We have to handle those in a way that doesn’t impact on the water quality of the River Suir.”
The council has installed a rain garden on Old Kilmeaden Road to absorb the amount of water that would have naturally flowed down the hill towards the old railway.
“That has been designed to consider any heavy rainfall we might have,” Ms Kennedy said. “There is a lot of stuff that’s going into project design at the moment, even how things were looked at when it came to the North Quays. Being able to plan for future changes in weather.”
Waterford’s local authority would like to upgrade more homes and provide more transport options, but it’s all subject to funding and public support.
People in Waterford city may feel they have to have a car and that it’s their only option for getting around, but there are major plans for a new transport hub to serve the city, linking to local buses and bicycle lanes. City residents will be able to borrow an electric car or bike for an hour or for days.
Outside the city, coastal erosion has inspired a project involving local artists and ecologists in Tramore. The Seagrass Sessions enable people to create art while learning about seagrass. Like a mini rainforest in the water, seagrass soaks up carbon and is “unbelievably good for fish. It is also a place for people to just come and enjoy”, according to Ms Kennedy.
Waterford has a steering group working across departmental boundaries to integrate climate change initiatives. There is a specific group for the city that includes major public entities and – soon – large private companies. This group’s goal is to work together to make Waterford Ireland’s first carbon neutral city.
As part of the city and county council’s Climate Action Plan, Waterford city was chosen as the county’s decarbonising zone – an area chosen to act as a test bed for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures that will assist in the delivery of the national climate objective of a 51pc reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Waterford city was chosen due to its strong business base, the research presence of the South East Technological University, and the array of innovative SMEs within close proximity.
“We have a big programme of investment in the next while in Waterford City and County Council of our own buildings as well,” Ms Kennedy said.
Capital investments include the installation of electric vehicle chargers for the council’s own fleet, upgrading buildings and installing energy-saving lighting. The council is also forgoing some rates in order to help businesses prioritise energy efficiency.
“It’s a big investment, but it’s paying back,” Ms Kennedy said. “Even the likes of control of energy in our buildings. We are light-years ahead of where we were. It’s not just us – it’s every local authority in the south east.
“We partner with Kilkenny, Wexford, Carlow and Tipperary and they are all making similar investments in energy efficiency in their own buildings, but also in their social housing as well.”
Climate change is “a whole new consideration for councils”, Ms Kennedy said. Before, they never had to think about things like EV charging, she added. Now the 2019 climate legislation forces councils to act.