One role will be in Belfast Council, another in Climate NI
Flooding on Maryville Avenue this morning(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
European Union money will provide €200,000 for two roles to conduct a climate project in Belfast.
A committee report at City Hall has revealed that Belfast City Council secured €198,612 in a successful application to Climate KIC, which is part of the EU Horizon Pathways2Resilience Programme.
The 18-month project starts in this month and ends in June 2027, and aims to develop a Climate Resilience report, strategy, action plan and investment plan for Belfast. The council will work with the Northern Ireland Environment Link, from Climate NI to deliver the project.
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The funding will be used for the recruitment of two temporary project staff – a Project Coordinator at Belfast Council and a Policy and Research Officer at the Northern Ireland Environment Link.
A council report, published for the Climate and City Resilience Committee which was held this week, states: “Under a changing climate, Belfast will experience hotter drier summers and warmer wetter winters, with more extreme weather and rising sea levels. There will be an increase in average winter precipitation and in the frequency of heavy rainfall events.
“This, coupled with sea level rise, represents a significant climate risk. Large proportions of Belfast City Centre are between one and two metres below extreme tide level, with 6,000 properties currently considered at significant coastal flood risk.
“Climate projections indicate that sea levels around Northern Ireland are expected to rise by up to 0.94 metres by the end of the century. As well as coastal flooding, Belfast is exposed to surface water flooding due to its location within the River Lagan catchment area.
“There are also projected changes in storminess, and whilst extreme cold events are projected to become less frequent in the future, they pose a significant risk to Belfast. The ‘Big Freeze’ of 2010 and the ‘Beast from the East’ in 2018 highlight that cold/snow events remain a possibility despite the overall warming trend. This highlights the need for a climate adaptation and resilience plan for the city.”
The Pathways2Resilience programme is a five-year project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, and will support at least 100 regions and communities within Europe, with a total pot of €21 million.
The aim, the council states, is to “codesign visions of a climate resilient future and corresponding transformative adaptation pathways and innovation agendas that ensure long-term impact.”
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