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Article 5 Characterisation (2007)

August 29, 2007 by EPA Catchments Unit | in
Article 5 Characterisation (2007)

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Article 3 of the WFD requires individual river basins to be identified and assigned to River Basin Districts, which, for the purposes of the Directive, are used as the main
unit for managing the water environment. A River Basin District (RBD) can include several individual river basins or catchments.

The River Basin Management Planning process requires the preparation, implementation and review of a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) over six yearly cycles for each RBD identified. This requires an iterative approach to river basin planning and management that will integrate all relevant factors in addressing the issues pertinent to water quality.

There are four main elements of the process:

  1. Environmental and economic assessment or ‘characterisation’ of the river basin district and the pressures and impacts on the water environment;
  2. Environmental monitoring based on river basin characterisation;
  3. Setting of environmental objectives; and
  4. Design and implementation of a programme of measures to achieve
    environmental objectives.

FileAction
SWRBD Article 5 Characterisation Summary Report.pdf  Download  
NWIRBD Article 5 Characterisation - Technical Summary Report.pdf  Download  
NBIRBD ROI Art 5 Technical Summary Report RoI_Final.pdf  Download  
NBIRBD Article 5 Characterisation - Technical Summary Report.pdf  Download  
NWIRBD Art 5 Summary Report RoI_Final.pdf  Download  

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About author

EPA Catchments Unit

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.

LAWCO

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.

EPA

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.

DECLG

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.