10 Ways to Prepare for a Hotter, Drier Future

Meeting Paris Climate Agreement Targets

The primary defense against worsening climate impacts requires nations to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement, according to Fogarty. While smaller nations often view their individual emissions as insignificant on a global scale, collective progress depends entirely on every government meeting its reduction promises. The Irish government frequently emphasizes international leadership, yet domestic emissions must fall rapidly to establish genuine credibility. Reaching these targets remains the foundational step in mitigating future extreme weather events.

Implementing the EU-Wide Nature Restoration Law

Restoring collapsed ecosystems is critical to preventing widespread environmental failures that threaten national security, food supplies, and public health, citing a UK government report highlighted by Fogarty. For Ireland, this involves supporting international forest and wetland protection while aggressively rebuilding domestic habitats. The European Union has enacted a binding Nature Restoration Law, and Ireland’s National Restoration Plan awaits formal submission. Fogarty notes that the Irish government must commit billions of euros in funding to successfully implement the plan.

Reversing Land Drainage to Combat Drought

Decades of intensive drainage across bogs, farmland, and river networks have left Irish land highly vulnerable to drought conditions, according to environmental analyses. Efforts to dry out soils for grass and Sitka spruce cultivation have severely lowered water tables, creating tinderbox conditions and yellowing fields. Undoing these drainage systems allows the landscape to hold and store precious water resources when seasonal dry periods strike. Blocking artificial drains restores essential soil moisture and builds long-term climate resilience.

Reforesting Uplands with Native Trees

Upland reforestration provides a natural mechanism for regulating water flow and mitigating high temperatures, as deep root systems allow moisture to percolate effectively through soil. Native forests maintain ground moisture during severe droughts through dense summer leaf canopies. Uplands represent an ideal starting point for large-scale tree planting because they sit at the headwaters of major river systems. Current agricultural policy restricts grants for upland forests, a barrier that Fogarty points out could be eliminated immediately through policy reform.

Repealing the Arterial Drainage Act

Post-World War II legislation known as the Arterial Drainage Act mandates that the Office of Public Works continuously maintain straightened and deepened rivers to maximize farmland. This legal requirement perpetuates ongoing ecosystem destruction by accelerating water runoff instead of retaining it on the land. Restoring natural river dynamics alongside adjacent wetlands, swamp forests, and floodplains keeps water in the landscape longer. Although repeal of the Arterial Drainage Act appears in the official 2024 Water Plan and recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly, the government has taken no legislative action.

Introducing Beavers for Water Retention

European and British conservation projects demonstrate that introducing beavers successfully retains water, reduces pollution, and builds drought-resistant ponds at minimal cost. While historical records do not confirm native beaver populations in Ireland, their demonstrated ecological benefits warrant serious consideration. Fogarty emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive feasibility studies to evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of beaver reintroduction.

Protecting and Managing Mature Hedgerows

Mature hedgerows shade agricultural fields, reduce soil evaporation, and facilitate vital water infiltration, yet they receive minimal legal protection in Ireland. Current regulations permit the removal of up to 500 meters of hedgerow without formal assessment or permission. While bird nesting season protections exist, autumn trimming often reduces established hedges to sparse lines of sticks. Financial incentives for farmers are necessary to encourage proper hedgerow management and preserve their climate-buffering benefits.

Expanding Natural Farm Ponds

Constructing natural ponds across rural landscapes provides essential wildlife habitats and improves local drought resilience through water storage. Siting these ponds in naturally wet areas preserves water quality and connects them directly with surrounding vegetation and soil ecosystems. Avoiding heavy plastic liners ensures the ponds function as fully integrated parts of the local hydrological network.

Transitioning Away from Monoculture Grassland

Farmers cultivating multi-species pastures experience significantly higher drought resistance compared to traditional monocultures of closely cropped ryegrass, according to agricultural observations. Common native Irish species like the ribwort plantain develop root systems extending past half a metre in depth, contrasting sharply with ryegrass roots measuring only a couple of centimetres. Deep-rooting plants access subterranean moisture stores that remain unreachable during extended dry spells.

Regulating Water Abstraction

Water abstraction from lakes, rivers, and wells remains weakly regulated across the country, leaving authorities without accurate data on resource consumption. According to the Sustainable Water Network, current monitoring cannot determine total water usage, extraction locations, or specific industrial purposes. Licensing thresholds remain excessively low, allowing large volumes of water to be drawn from the environment during droughts without regulatory oversight.