RE: Sea level rise and the Milford Haven waterway.

AT a recent Flood Risk event held in Dale, Natural Resources Wales made it quite clear that funding would not be available for individual schemes to protect small communities against sea level rise.

This is quite understandable: such are the economic facts of life. However, numerous properties spread along the many miles of the Milford Haven waterway’s shoreline are threatened by sea level rise; so are business premises, infrastructure items representing huge investment in the past, and great areas of farmland… Begging the question, could some common scheme be devised which would jointly protect all of these?

Surely the powers that be should start investigating the possibilities for controlling tidal ingress at the mouth of Milford Haven; not necessarily with a barrage, but perhaps using a more benign – and less obtrusive – technique, for example, some kind of submerged device for attenuating tidal flow which was only raised by flotation when needed.

Yes, there would be many pros and cons to consider, both financial and ecological – but now that we have been officially warned what the outcome will be for many communities around the Haven given a “do nothing” scenario, would it not be wise to start investigations?

Given that we humans have great potential for ingenuity, we might possibly arrive at a scheme which combined flood protection with tidal power generation. Even better if the equipment for such a venture were to be designed and built in Pembrokeshire, using local skills.

CHRISTOPHER JESSOP

Marloes