2021 EPA Water Conference

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The EPA Water Conference was held online on 16 & 17 June 2021. The theme was Water: integrating policy and practice. The conference was open to the public and there was no cost to attend.

Expert speakers shared their knowledge on how to protect and improve water quality in Ireland.
Attendees had opportunities to network, communicate with fellow participants, and take part in polling and Q&A sessions. A panel discussion with questions and answers, moderated by Tom Collins of An Fórum Uisce, took place on the second day.

2021 EPA Water Conference – Conference Programme

Download 2021 EPA Water Conference Programme

2021 EPA Water Conference – Videos

Session 1: Setting the scene

1. Integrating water and environment policy and protection	Dr Stéphane Isoard Head of Group, Water and Marine, European Environment Agency
2. Ireland’s third River Basin Management Plan	Feargal Ó’Coigligh Assistant Secretary, Water Division, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
3. Water governance in Ireland: a review of structures and processes	Dr Richard Boyle Independent Research Consultant

Session 2: Opportunities for multiple benefits

4. Valuing ecosystems	Prof. Jane Stout Professor in Botany, Trinity College Dublin
5. Managing Ireland’s marine resources – the benefits of an integrated approach	Caitríona Nic Aonghusa Section Manager for Marine Spatial Planning & Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Marine Institute
6. Opportunities for water quality from bog rehabilitation	Enda McDonagh Environmental Manager, Bord na Móna

Session 3: Looking forward – pressures and solutions

7. Standardisation of National Climate Services: supporting water decision making	Keith Lambkin Senior Climatologist, Met Éireann
8. What does the new Drinking Water Directive mean for water protection?	Dr Michelle Minihan Senior Inspector, Drinking Water, EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement
9. Securing drinking water supplies into the future	Angela Ryan Water Resources Specialist, Irish Water
10. AgriFood 2030: the future for agriculture	Tom Arnold Chair, 2030 Agri-Food Strategy Committee

Session 4: Working with communities: valuing water

11. Communities and water: a vision for the future	Bernie O’Flaherty Regional Coordinator, Local Authority Waters Programme
12. Behavioural change: learning from SEAI’s work with Communities	Ruth Buggie Sustainable Energy Communities Programme Manager, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
13. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan: sharing stories to change behaviour	Dr Úna FitzPatrick Chair of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, National Biodiversity Data Centre
14. Citizen Science: DCU’s Water Blitz	Dr Susan Hegarty Dublin City University Water Institute

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.