'DUBLIN & CORK WILL BE SWAMPED'.

Byline: DEMELZA de BURCA

DUBLIN and Cork could be submerged under water in the next century as a result of global warming, a report warned yesterday.

The Irish Academy of Engineers said the Government must plan to prevent permanent flooding as the cost of not acting would be catastrophic.

Its report Ireland At Risk claimed floods could happen as often as once every five years rather than once every 100 years as usual.

Don Moore from the Irish Academy of Engineers has said failure to plan for a possible will put Irish society at unacceptable risk.

The group points out that Holland is spending EUR1.5billion every year on adapting to climate change and Ireland needs to act now. According to the report, which was presented to Minister for the Environment John Gormley, changing rainfall patterns will affect water supplies, while rising sea levels will "inundate" coastal cities and towns.

It also predicts severe weather incidents will damage energy installations, hospitals, telecommunications, railways and other critical utilities. Yet despite the risk, the academy warned that the Government has no single agency advising it on how to adapt critical infrastructure to be safe.

IAE president Michael Hayden said: "If we move now, significant economic benefits will accrue. But if we do 'too little too late' we risk social and economic disaster."

CAPTION(S):

REPORT Mr Gormley