And fears were expressed that without urgent action, parts of the town could end up underwater in years to come.
This week’s event at the Corner House Hotel was organised by Architecture and Design Scotland’s Climate Action Towns project.
They revealed that the current predictions for Annan are harsh: rising sea levels will cause floods to southern parts of the town and other areas next to the river, more rainfall will increase flooding events, buildings will overheat in the summer and be too cold in the winter, extreme weather events will increase in frequency and impact local infrastructure.
The project hopes to work together with people and organisations throughout Annan, using a whole place approach to explore opportunities to deliver real change on the ground.
This is being described as “place based climate action” and the hopes are it would make Annan a more thriving place for everyone to live.
Climate Action Towns say they used a data driven approach to choose nine small towns across the country, including Annan, using indicators such as potential flood risk and the projected sea level-rise.
Senior design officer Mark Dowey said: “These drop-in mapping sessions will empower the community in Annan to shape their future with climate action at the heart of place-based change.
“It is a great way of understanding what people think about their place and how the issues and opportunities in Annan can interrelate.”
Groups in attendance at the event included Annan the History Town, Annan Harbour Action Group, The Devil’s Porridge Museum, The Solway Firth Partnership and Moving Images.
