The threat of flooding in Dublin is becoming an all too frequent reality. Warnings from the International panel on Climate Change have stressed the potential severity of future floods in line with the continued impact of global warming. Dublin’s position along the coast, along with all the major cities in the country, makes this an acute point of vulnerability.
A UCD scientist is posing the question ‘How can the citizens of Dublin mitigate the effects of flooding?’. Pioneering a citizen science project, Francesco Pilla, an Associate Professor of Smart Cities and Urban Environment at the university is looking to address this problem. Through the EU’s Operandum project (focusing on sustainable solutions to climate change challenges) Dr. Pilla has acquired the funding to purchase 100 weather stations.
Stressing the role that citizens can play as part of the solution when tackling sustainability challenges, Francesco is asking homes in Dublin to set up weather stations. Working with local communities and schools will help to monitor weather variables & soil moisture to better understand how green spaces can help reduce the risk of flooding.
Please click on the link below if you would like to have one in your home:
Speaking about the importance of the role of citizens Francesco noted “So, we see the impact that local land use has on flood risk, but also we engage with citizens in doing so, so we make them aware of the problem and we make them part of the solution.”