Building resilience of coastal and marine environments in Ireland

Keywords: climate, resilience, adaptation, ICZM, communities, erosion, sea level rise
Session Type: Virtual Guided Poster Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 33

Abstract

The aim of the Building Coastal and Marine Resilience in Ireland (BCOMAR) project was to identify features that constitute resilience for coastal communities in Ireland. The project sought to elucidate a means by which communities could determine their pathway to reach a condition of social, economic and environmental resiliency to the drivers and pressures they face as a consequence of climate change, and found that the current barriers preventing the coastal communities in Ireland from adapting and building resilience are:
• Knowledge gaps in coastal science, policy, governance and management.
• No integrated Coastal Zone Management approach or governance at either national, regional or local levels.
• No identification, inventory or valuation of natural capital and the ecosystem services provided by our coastal margins.
• Disproportionate capital spending in tourism attraction and experience compared to equivalent support for infrastructure, services and facilities in communities that host visitors and experience the massive seasonal number surge.
• Coastal communities are restricted by the highly-limited approach to Natura 2000 management that lacks engagement with dynamic, socio-economic, cultural and regional aspects of site management.

A set of 9 recommendations were made based on a synthesis of climate adaptation and biodiversity policies in Ireland and how they are operationalized within coastal communities; extensive consultation with two coastal communities and their experiences building resilience through community-led actions; and ongoing partnerships between the authors and local authorities and Climate Action Regional Offices in Ireland.