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Climate Ireland: Ireland’s national climate adaptation platform

Climate Ireland provides information, advice and support to help Ireland adapt to our changing climate. Adaptation involves taking action to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and is now essential due to current and future climate change.

Met Éireann reports that 2023 was the warmest year on record for Ireland, with average annual temperature above 11°C . The EPA-led National Climate Change Risk Assessment will support planning for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change impacts. https://t.co/xm7wrznWxm pic.twitter.com/iurORmXpZb
— EPA Ireland (@EPAIreland) January 5, 2024

About Climate Ireland

As the adaptation platform for Ireland Climate Ireland sets out to:

Analyse, consolidate and present existing scientific/technical information of relevance to climate resilience
Assess and display up to date climate projections for Ireland
Act as a home for consolidated output of climate impact and climate adaptation research in Ireland
Act as a portal to information available from other reliable sources
Actively engage and develop long term relationships with core user group
Build the capacity of users to engage with climate adaptation and to mainstream climate resilience within their own areas of work
Create awareness of the need for climate adaptation
Expand on international linkages to share and develop best practice in climate information platforms and related services

Climate Ireland facilitates the Climate Ireland Adaptation Network as a community of practice network.

A screenshot of the Climate Ireland website

International partners

Eionet: European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) is a partnership network of the European Environment Agency (EEA) and its 38 member and cooperating countries.

EEA: European Environment Agency – agency of the European Union which provides independent information on the environment.

Climate Adapt: Climate-ADAPT aims to support Europe in adapting to climate change helping users to access and share data and information on climate change in Europe; vulnerability of regions and sectors; EU, national and transnational adaptation strategies and actions; adaptation case studies and tools that support adaptation planning.

National bodies

National Framework for Climate Services: coordination of the standardisation of national climate data and information to inform risk assessment and adaptation planning.

Met Éireann: action, research and standardised climate projections and coordination of climate services and the NFCS.

Geological Survey Ireland: action and research on groundwater-related flooding, landslide susceptibility mapping and coastal vulnerability.

Office of Public Works: management of current and future flood risk and coastal change.

Environmental Protection Agency: regulation and assessment of water quality and resources, strategic environmental assessment, research, international climate engagement.

Marine Institute: action and research on ocean climate and marine climate adaptation.

Other national resources

Climate Action Regional Offices: driving climate action at regional and local level in Ireland and building on the experience and expertise which exists across the Local Authority sector.

Climate Smart: free interactive workshops, quizzes, and games to teach secondary-school students about climate adaptation planning.

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who 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.