I have read with interest and some awe the reports and photographs that appeared in your valued newspaper on the damage wrought to our Lakeland communities.

While some feel climate change and severe rainfall is not connected, I am of the view that global warming, and warmer temperatures here, have led to excessive rainfall.

I have read some of the latest research by some British scientists, carried out in Reading, Leeds and Oxford Universities, that states warmer weather, greater water vaporisation, and the 'el-Nino', effect have led to the freak rainfall in the Lakes.

In addition to atmospheric moisture storage, there is also a very local factor, that affects us in the Lakes. Craig Bennett, the Executive Head of Friends of the Earth, says; "The unique soil composition (sheep grazed) and fell side ecology (less big trees) does not help to stop the cascading torrents of water that has swelled our Rivers Kent and Eden. The above Cumbria geography has not been able to cope with the normal flood defences."

At COP-21-UN summit in Paris, while many member states tried to deal with carbon emissions,it failed to deal with the urgent need to introduce massive afforestation, which could help our fragile ecology in the Lakes and other vulnerable geographies.

I firmly believe the problem of climate change cannot only be tackled by the UN - it should be a collective effort involving the civil society and greater education of the grave threat humanity now faces.

I would invite everyone to attend the educational event the UNA-South Lakes is organising with nine leading schools in the area, on March 23 2016, at Kirkland Hall in Kendal.

We expect the head teachers to send at least 28 sixth formers to role play a UN-Model debate on climate change.

Luckshan Abeysuriya

UNA-South Lakes Branch

Ulverston