Fight or Flight – Strandhill, Co. Sligo 2025

What is the project about?

This year Project Fight or Flight will focus their attention on the area of Strandhill, Co. Sligo.  It is one of the premier surfing locations in North-West Ireland and that tells you how exposed it is to the North Atlantic ocean!

Because Strandhill is so exposed to the impacts of coastal climate change we will study the geographic area, meet the local people and look at the issues they have in their environment. We will also work with the local municipality to help them develop a plan for this unique coastal area.

We need to decide should the people of Strandhill Fight or Flight!!! 

Are you interested in joining? 

Project Details:

Our climate is changing. How we live and where we live will have to change. How will we change? Project ‘Fight or Flight’ explores the issues around how we adapt to change.

What is the project about?

Europe has experienced extreme weather for centuries however things are changing. Storms are more extreme and more frequent. Rainfall patterns are changing with a greater intensity.  All this with the possibility of rising sea levels. 

Based around two specific meteorological issues, storm events and intense rainfall, which can lead to erosion and flooding, teams will asses the impact on people and where they live.  They will develop solutions/scenarios around how the people of Europe might cope. Should they FIGHT or should they FLIGHT?  

These climate changes, new to the people of Europe, will have environmental, social and economic impacts.  We need to debate how we should cope, with two clear emotions on display; the need to protect a way of life for people living in these affected areas and the protection of the natural environment for the ecosystem services it provides.  Both emotions have environmental, social and economic implications. 
 
The challenge for our society is to change using the principles of sustainable development, taking heed of environmental, social and economic aspects.  But how do we change?  

The team will look at environmental, social and economic aspects of the problem, explore different possible scenarios and develop solution and decision making tools. Amongst other things, the project outcomes may include; 
            How to communicate the problem 
            Propose solutions to how we adapt 
            Design decision making tools for change 

Study areas:
If you are interested in solutions for the future, want to help understand how society changes, why it changes and how we can influence change then this may be the project for you.

While students may have a specific study area, we aim to get a team that has one or more of the following elements.  A dream team will have all three elements;

Environmental sciences who understand the mechanisms causing change on  our   environment.

Social sciences where participants recognise the impact slow or sudden changes have on society and our inherent response to these. Communication and media skills.

Business and finance where decisions were once made on economic models, now we must think about other factors such as people and the natural world.

Participants may have one or more of the elements.  Alternatively they could have a background in an area that may be impacted by climate change such as farming, fishing or forestry.

Our Project Team

For our project to be successful our project team will need the following skills;

-          Good communicators who want to meet local people, talk about local issues and help understand their challenges.

-          A range of environmental knowledge, some experts but also some new to the topic who are keen to learn

-          Technical, creative thinkers who want to explore solutions and novel ideas that help transform society for a better future

-          Media and marketing experts who want to develop communication tools that help us explain our challenges and understand how they can help solve them

If this sounds like you, then please apply!

If you have any questions about the project, please contact