The impacts of climate change and what it may hold for our day-to-day lives is becoming more and more a topic of discussion and debate. For coastal areas such as Cork Harbour the implications of climate change are likely to be varied and it is important that we form an understanding of what challenges may lie ahead, and how prepared we are to deal with these challenges as they arise. Following the launch of the Cork Harbour Integrated Management Strategy in May of last year, a partnership of agencies has continued to work together on a series of actions designed to implement the Strategy; this includes attention to encouraging shared use of data and information, future planning considerations, and preparedness for what changing climate may hold in store for the Harbour.

Recently, members of the Harbour Strategy team met with those involved in other related initiatives, such as the Lee Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Study, to examine how links could be further strengthened and to ensure efforts are combined to best plan for climate change impacts. Padraig Moore of the Planning Policy Unit in Cork County Council believes climate change to be” an issue that requires all initiatives, and associated parties, to combine their efforts to enable us to fully grasp what the implications and necessary responses may be”. Representatives from the City and County Councils, Office of Public Works, University College Cork, and Port of Cork amongst others, have agreed to continue communication, and to meet in the future as a Working Group to identify how best to combine efforts in relation to the issues of climate change impacts, future planning and development.

Updates on the future activities of the Working Group will be made available through the Cork Harbour website – http://www.corkharbour.ie – which provides information on news, events and management activities underway in Cork Harbour.