“Climate change can bring us together, if we have the wisdom to prevent it from driving us apart”*
Many wonder why, in the face of one of the most important global issues of our time, people are still […]
Read More
Articles by category
EPA Drinking Water Report 2016
The EPA Drinking Water Report 2016, released September 12th, shows that the quality of drinking water in public supplies remains high, […]
Read More
Detection of the Lapwing Predators in the River Avon Catchment
The River Avon catchment, located in Hampshire in the south of England, is considered to have one of the highest […]
Read More
Biodiversity – the variety of life
The terms ‘nature’ and ‘biodiversity’ are interchangeable. Human beings are an intrinsic part of biodiversity and interact with it on […]
Read More
High Nature Value farmland: co-delivery of farmland biodiversity and water quality
We introduce High Nature Value farmland and its positive contribution to multiple environmental dimensions. Environmental supports could more deliberately target […]
Read More
Catchments, water quality and community science – a tale from County Antrim
Any programme of sustainable development needs to consider not only environmental and economic factors, but also social issues. Case studies, […]
Read More Time to get real about addressing climate change impacts
After years of denial, procrastination and inaction, the time has arrived to get real about the impacts of a changing […]
Read More
The Lough Derg Native Fish Biodiversity Project: unlocking our hidden underwater biodiversity through a locally led large scale citizen science project
Ireland’s freshwater fish fauna represent some the most unique aspects of our native biodiversity. Unlike some of our other “native […]
Read More
The Catchment Services Concept – A means of connecting and progressing Water Framework Directive and biodiversity requirements in the context of ‘Sustainable Intensification’ of agriculture, and climate change
Achieving successful management of our water and biodiversity resources in the context of both the Food Harvest 2020 strategy and […]
Read More
The impact of nutrient reduction measures on the health of Irish estuarine systems
Nutrient over-enrichment in estuaries and coasts due to human activity is a widely recognised global phenomenon. These ecosystems can respond […]
Read MoreWho is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.
This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.
Local Authority Waters Programme
The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.
Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.