THE States are taking climate change seriously to make sure the Island is defended against rising sea levels and more extreme weather, the man in charge of protecting Jersey said today.

Chris Sampson, of Transport and Technical Services, revealed that an international team of consultants has been called in to assess threats posed by global warming. HR Wallingford are expected to produce a report within months that will shed light on the likely impact of an anticipated sea-level rise of up to 69 cm by 2080. Mr Sampson explained that the condition of the Island’s sea defences was surveyed in 2002 and since then a programme of repairing and upgrading had been ongoing. It is expected to last until 2010. To complement that work, HR Wallingford will look at where defences will need to be bolstered even further over the coming decades. They are due to publish an outline of their findings at the end of this month.