A COASTAL defences consultation paper is being prepared for the States for autumn publication.

Environment commissioned a report from consultant Royal Haskoning last year. The objective was to assess the defences to take into account the findings of research published in the British Irish Council’s ‘Climate Change Scenarios for islands within the BIC region’ of 2003 which forecast possible sea level rise of between nine and 69cm by 2080.

Minister David De Lisle said that the report had now been received and the consultation paper was being prepared.

‘The report looks at costed options to deal with sea water rises and increased storm frequencies resulting from climate change,’ he said.

‘It embraces the range of climate scenarios and sets out a programme of monitoring, studies and coastal defence work to be carried out immediately, within five years and beyond.’

Deputy De Lisle said that all governments had a responsibility to take on and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.

‘There is a need to set an agenda, a course of action, and to adapt to an altered world – and that’s what the department is doing here,’ he said.

‘The facts we know are that temperatures and sea levels are rising and we as a government have a responsibility to act and manage the transition in the interest of our future.’

But he said that the department would not want to form firm views on any specifics in advance of the formal consultation with the public.

He said that following public and business consultation, it was the department’s intention to take a strategy on coastal defences to the States in February or March.