Northern Ireland needs a “long-term strategy” which guards against the risk of flooding, according to NI Conservatives’ environment spokesman, Brian McBride.
“There have been a series of extreme weather events over the past number of years, with the latest combination of winds, rain and high tide, just the latest example”, Brian commented. “In case this pattern continues, the key is to be prepared. In Northern Ireland we have relatively few areas which are at high risk of flooding, so it should be possible to come up with a coherent strategy to reduce the risk.”
“The various agencies have masterminded an excellent response to the current situation. In the future, though, we cannot rely on sand-bags and responding to an emergency. There’s a strong case for forward planning and looking at more permanent anti-flood infrastructure in coastal areas where the risk of flooding is high.”