NATURAL RESOURCES WALES has issued a flood alert for the Pembrokeshire coast, urging residents to be prepared for possible flooding. The alert covers the stretch of coastline between St Dogmaels, Cardigan, and Amroth, where flooding could occur.

The public is advised to take precautions and remain vigilant. For up-to-date information, residents can visit the Natural Resources Wales website or contact the Floodline service on 0345 988 1188, using the quick dial number 503013. Water levels can be checked via the ‘river, rainfall and sea data’ page on the Natural Resources Wales website.

Flood Preparedness: Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Follow your flood plan, if you have one.
• Ensure you know the whereabouts of your loved ones and pets, and make a plan to move them to safety if necessary.
• Safeguard your important documents, sentimental items, and valuables by placing them in a secure location.
• Keep your mobile phone charged and accessible.
• Make sure you know how to turn off your electricity, gas, and water supplies.
• Prepare a small bag with essentials such as medication, phone charger, warm clothing, and any necessary items for babies and pets.
• Move vehicles, livestock, and equipment from areas at risk of flooding.

Don’t:

• Avoid driving or walking through floodwater. Just 30cm of water can carry away a car, while 15cm is enough to knock a person off their feet.

For further updates and guidance, follow Natural Resources Wales on social media or call Floodline.

RESEARCHERS plan to test if the snow high up on Everest is melting, threatening the water supplies of over one billion people.

Despite air temperatures being well below zero on the highest mountain on Earth, it is believed that the snow may be melting due to rising air temperatures combined with intense solar radiation.

If the theory proves correct, it would suggest that the glaciers in the Himalayas are thawing faster than expected.

Glaciers in the highest mountains of the planet are an extremely important source of water with over one billion people – including many in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – depending on Himalayan runoff.

Changes in the rate of glacier thawing would threaten this water supply. Another danger would also be more flooding from failures of natural ice dams, or so-called Glacial Lake Outburst Floods.

The new project follows previous findings by Aberystwyth University and University of Leeds researchers which showed that the temperature of the ice in the lower parts of Khumbu Glacier, at the foot of Mount Everest, is warmer than would be expected given the local air temperature.

As part of the research, Professor Bryn Hubbard from Aberystwyth University will work with Professor Duncan Quincey of the University of Leeds to lead a team to the Western Cwm, over six kilometres above sea level and half a kilometre above base camp.

The researchers expect to go on their first trip in spring 2025 to drill into the surface of the upper reaches of Khumbu Glacier and use the boreholes to record temperatures. The team will also install automatic weather stations at the study sites.

This data will help them look for evidence of melting and refreezing within the glacier’s surface snowpack.

Professor Bryn Hubbard from Aberystwyth University’s Department of Geography and Earth Sciences said:

“It may well be a bit of a surprise to many that snow is melting within the mountain’s Western Cwm, but it is increasingly likely and it needs to be investigated and measured if we are going to be able to identify the effects of climate change on this water-stressed region and beyond.

“Understanding and recording what actually happens inside these glaciers is critical to developing computer models of their response to anticipated climate change. Equally important is developing a better understanding of how they flow so that we can better predict when dams that form on these glaciers are likely to be breached, releasing destructive volumes of water to the valleys below. This is a real risk in the Himalayas as it is in other regions such as the Andes and has the potential to endanger the lives of thousands of people.”

Scientific observations are rarely made at high altitudes because of the logistical challenges in transporting equipment.

The team is designing a new lightweight drilling setup to overcome these barriers. However, it will still face problems such as maintaining battery power in freezing temperatures and working in areas with harsh living conditions and low levels of oxygen.

Professor Duncan Quincey explained:

“Our previous work has relied on helicopters to transport our equipment onto the glacier, but given how thin the air is in the Western Cwm, we can’t be sure the helicopters will be able to fly this time. We also won’t know quite how the equipment will fare in such harsh conditions, because it is designed to operate in much warmer conditions – as could also be said for the human body! But if we can successfully drill even a single borehole within the Western Cwm, that will be a major success. Most importantly, it will lead us to being able to model how water supplies are likely to change for a large part of the world’s population with much greater certainty.” 

Professor Hubbard added:

“This work will also give us a new understanding of processes and changes that are relevant for all glaciers in similar settings world-wide. Hopefully, it will resolve outstanding debates about the possibility of net mass loss at the world’s highest elevations and indicate the extent to which other glaciers within the Himalayas may also contain unexpectedly warm ice.

“We should also be able to provide insights into a rarely observed cryospheric zone that can inform public policy on climate change. As part of this, we will be providing further evidence for supporting agencies such as the United Nation’s Development Programme, and the Nepalese government. This should help them prepare for, and mitigate against, a now inevitable change in meltwater supply as climatic changes continue to influence the region.”

The project is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and is a collaboration between academics from Aberystwyth and Leeds universities.

WALES must significantly ramp up its climate ambitions to hit net zero by 2035 according to a new report spearheaded by former environment minister Jane Davidson and supported by Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh.

The Wales Net Zero 2025 Challenge Group warns that both the Welsh Government, the UK Government, as well as society at large, must significantly step up to meet this critical target.

Their new report, Pathways To A Prosperous And Resilient Wales In A Changing Future was commissioned by the leaders of the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru through the 2021 Cooperation Agreement. It presents a comprehensive strategy to guide Wales towards sustainability by 2035, focusing on key areas: emissions reductions, education and employment, food and energy security and the development of housing, transport and infrastructure.

Professor Whitmarsh, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath is the Co-Chair of Connections in the group.

Professor Whitmarsh and her colleagues stress the need to transform mobility and connectivity for a healthier, fairer Wales. Their recommendations include enhancing digital connectivity, local services, and sustainable transport options to align with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh who examined connectivity across Wales, said: “We believe that society should be supported to travel less, travel differently and travel better. Our advice supports a transformative mobility agenda to avoid, shift and improve the movement of people and goods, to reduce car dependency whilst also supporting a healthier, fairer future.”

Dr Eurgain Powell from Public Health Wales who also examined connectivity, said: “By enabling and investing in digital connectivity, local services, fairer fares for public transport, walking and cycling, car sharing e-hubs, rail freight and sustainable aviation fuel, we believe our advice offers a better direction for the people of Wales and closer alignment with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.”

The expert group anticipates substantial benefits from a net zero transition, including better health outcomes, reduced NHS pressures, increased energy security, and new jobs in low-carbon sectors. They stress that proactive planning is essential to ensure a just transition to net zero, delivering both environmental and socio-economic benefits.

Jane Davidson, Net Zero Challenge Group Chair, added: “The Senedd was the first national parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency in 2019, pledging to act to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the Welsh population.

By proposing 10 year pathways to deliver outcomes to keep the population of Wales safer, our work has focused particularly on delivering a nature positive and just transition as required by the unique Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.

Our ambition has been to describe pathways that will deliver benefits to the Welsh people as well as quantifiable emission reductions. While this work is specific to Wales, quantifiable emission reductions are essential for us all if we are to minimise harm to current and future generations. We hope that our work, published before New York Climate Week and this year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan, will help Wales and other countries of all sizes to consider focusing on real actions as part of real pathways to deliver.”

Stan Townsend, Net Zero Challenge Group Secretary, added: “This work offers genuine pragmatism in dealing with challenge of climate change, for Wales and the world. Unlike the so called ‘pragmatism’ that ignores problems, this work acknowledges and confronts them head-on.

Through exploring how to reach net zero earlier than 2050, we’ve highlighted how Wales could accelerate action to address the causes of climate change, while demonstrating that this acceleration shouldn’t wait any longer if we are to seize the benefits, minimise the costs and ensure a just transition.

Importantly, for us, we’ve worked towards a net-zero transition that also addresses related challenges such as public health, inequality, economic stability and the nature crisis. This is what the people of Wales deserve.

As the great-grandson of a coal miner from the South Wales valleys, I don’t want to see a history of unjust transitions repeat itself. A renewed approach to climate change and sustainable development is needed to avoid this and that is what our work offers.”