The project aims to assess the vulnerability of the Dublin Bay area to impacts of climate change by integrating results from different data sources onshore and offshore, modelling activities and approaches to provide very high resolution climate change impact and vulnerability assessment studies in a high sensitive area as Dublin Bay. 

 Through vulnerability mapping levels of vulnerability will be estimated through the analysis and combination of various indicators (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) using suitable indices and appropriate methodology. Indicators will be assessed according to current and projected future regional climate gradients and trends in association with topography, land use, and other variables such as vertical land movement and sediment-budget changes under different erosion trends and socio-economic scenarios.

 Silvia has a B.Sc. in Geology (Speciality: Engineering geology) from the University of Geology in Oviedo, Spain. After graduating, she worked as a geologist in the geotechnical field in Spain. She began working in the Geological Survey of Ireland in 2001 where she worked in the Quaternary, Groundwater and Information Management sections. In recent years she extended her studies through two Masters awarded by the National University of Maynooth: Research M.Sc. in Geographical Information Systems, Geophysics and Remote Sensing (2006) and M. Sc. in Climate Change (2009).

 Colin Holman has also joined the ICARUS Team. He is a 2009 graduate of the MSc in Climate Change, for which he was awarded first class honours. Since finishing the course Colin has been working Dept. of Geography/ICARUS on the following tasks:

•  Automation of climate change impact models for use in ongoing and future research projects conducted by ICARUS. This work adds significant capability to catering for uncertainty in climate projections in line with international best practice.
•  Development of modelling software and resources for use in teaching on the MSc in Climate Change
•  Provision of training through tutorials in applying software he has developed.

• Writing up a paper for publication in a leading international journal.

 We welcome both Silvia and Colin to the ICARUS Team.