With sea level rise of between 11cm and 78cm (approx. 4in and 2 ½ft) expected by the year 2100 coastal flooding events like we have witnessed over the last week will become more frequent in the future and increasingly severe events will occur if we fail to adapt.
The latest round of damage and disruption will remind many of the storm surge only 12 years ago which caused flooding in coastal towns and is estimated to have cost the private sector alone in excess of £8M. Nearly two thirds of those losses were thought to be uninsured and the cost to utility and infrastructure providers were estimated at a further £4M. The conditions which led to this event were, at the time, estimated to coincide once every 20 years. The conditions which led to the most recent flooding have been described as a 1 in 50 year event but sea level rise over the coming decades will mean that, even with no storm surge, we can expect low lying areas such as the Tongue in Douglas harbour to flood more frequently.
Minister Gawne said:
'It is important that both current and future generations are able to adapt critical infrastructure to additional unprecedented sea level rise at minimal cost. With this in mind, and in line with the Isle of Man Government's Agenda for Change, we will bring forward proposals for a new Bill which if approved, will require Government Departments to assess the current and future risks posed by our climate and implement plans and policies to cope with these risks. We will also be inviting key speakers to the Isle of Man to raise awareness of climate change and hopefully dispel a few myths along the way'
