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A CALL has been made for practical steps to immediately mitigate the damage caused by flooding in Wales.

Aberystwyth was hit by unprecedented floods on Monday, with the town’s main street resembling one huge river at one point.

Gwyn Wigley Evans, GWLAD’s leader, said that it was hard to accurately define what was going on climate-wise – but there were immediate steps that could be taken right now.

‘We can’t just plant trees for an immediate answer, it will not stop flooding next year, but a complete revamp of the drainage system would minimise the damage’ he said.

‘Drainage, mobile pumps, barriers, strengthening sea defences are immediate mitigating steps which should be prioritised by our authorities.’

He said that local councillors in Ceredigion had complained that these were not small costs, but yet they had recently awarded themselves a pay rise.

‘This is quite an incredible and insensitive decision on their behalf’ he said.

He added that the monies needed for such mitigating measures was also petty cash compared to nuclear weapons, HS2, Crossrail, and the Westminster Revamp that Welsh taxpayers had to fund.

‘We are being short-changed all round at the moment, and we are all paying the price for that.’

Mr Evans said that plenty of conferences were going on about climate change, but precious little action was actually taking place at grassroots level.

‘A result for the climate was that conference in Glasgow which was cancelled. This would have involved 30,000 people flying in from all over the world. You just can’t make this stuff up. ‘

He added that at the Welsh Election next year, citizens needed to stop voting for grey, party machine fodder.

‘The politicians we have at the moment are full of management speak, but they have never managed anything at the coal face’ he said.