Action is urgently needed to protect Northern Ireland's 500-mile-long coastline from threats posed by storms and climate change, a conference has heard.
Environmentalists, politicians and policy-makers came together in Belfast yesterday for the Shifting Shores seminar, organised by the National Trust.
It heard arguments for an 'adaptive' approach to rising tides, as opposed to an engineered approach such as building more sea walls.
With experts claiming the rate of climate change is increasing, the trust called for shoreline planning to be adopted by the Executive and local councils as a priority.
It has committed to putting plans in place for the coastal areas it owns - more than 100 miles - by 2020.
Spokesman Phil Davidson said: "We have seen already in recent weeks how our coastline has been battered. In the coming years, these extreme-weather events are likely to become more frequent, threatening people’s homes and businesses and vital public services, as well as putting natural habitats and wildlife at risk."
