What is CMAP?

The Coastal Monitoring and Adaptation Plan (or CMAP) is a € 9.6 M EU PEACEPLUS funded project aiming to help tackle the problems of climate change impacts on the Irish coast. Launched as one of three independent projects supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), CMAP has been created to help communities, policymakers and environmental stakeholders better understand and respond to the growing impacts of climate change on the Irish coast.

Coastal regions are facing increasing pressures from sea-level rise, stronger storm activity, erosion and biodiversity loss – challenges that demand coordinated, cross-border solutions and new ways of working. This fully funded programme brings together a diverse partnership of organisations across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, combining scientific expertise, environmental knowledge and community engagement to address coastal restoration challenges

What are CMAP’s Objectives?

The main objective of the project is to help create sustainable adaptation to the threats posed by climate change through 3 different pathways of action: 

1. Data collection related to the nature of coastal change that will help to better understand the phenomenon. 
2. Conservation and recovery of coastal habitats that are hugely impacted by sea level rise, changing storm action and replacement by coastal defences. 
3. Coastal community engagement and citizen science for codeveloping monitoring and adaptation strategies, whilst influencing policy and decision making at a transboundary level. 

CMAP’s work will connect local action with citizen science across 15 coastal sites spanning Counties Sligo, Donegal, Londonderry, Antrim, Down, and Louth. 

The collaboration on those 15 sites will deepen understanding of coastal processes, habitats, and species, while also responding to community concerns. 

CMAP project runs through the collaboration of 12 partners around the island of Ireland. Climate NI Team at NIEL, together with Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, The National Trust, University of Galway and University College Cork, is engaged in the Coastal Community Engagement and Local Action aiming at building strong foundations for the development of sustainable adaptation strategies in those areas. 

The Climate NI Team at Northern Ireland Environment Link will deliver work under the Local Action work programme. Along with project partners, we will deliver a series of workshops in local communities to support the development of living coastal community adaptation plans. 

Find out more about CMAP on the project website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/c-map