More Midges!

We now realise we can’t rely on building hard infrastructure alone to prevent coastal and inland flooding. We need to alter the management of our land to ‘slow the flow,’ restoring river flood plains, peatbogs and soils, and allow managed ‘retreat’ along the coastline.

Creating more wetland habitats will be hugely beneficial to help reverse the declines in many wildlife species, such as the curlew and lapwing in Cumbria. This will also increase the number of mosquitoes causing increased levels of nuisance and potential diseases from infected bites. How will this affect our outdoor recreational enjoyment in future? (Summer evening BBQs?!).

Many of these secondary consequences of how we respond to the impacts of climate change on our landscape are difficult to predict, but it is useful to think through the potential positives and negatives to inform our decision-making.