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Free Learning Opportunity in the Border Region: ‘Protecting Shared Waters’ ECO Programme

Expressions of interest are now being invited for the upcoming ECO Programme within the EU Peace Plus Protecting Shared Waters project.

The programme has been designed around the rivers, wetlands, lakes, and communities of the Fane Catchment and will draw on local examples, issues, and opportunities wherever possible.

See the map below showing the project area (Fane Catchment):

The ECO programme will consist of six Saturday workshops taking place between September and December 2026, combining indoor learning with practical, field-based activities around protecting local waters. Sessions are expected to run for approximately 6 to 7 hours, from morning through to the afternoon.

Provisional workshop dates (subject to confirmation) are:

September: 5th, 26th
October: 10th
November: 7th, 21st
December: 5th

Proposed ECO Programme Themes and Activities

Explore how local waterways have shaped, and been shaped by, communities across the Fane Catchment.
Learn about water quality, water conservation, and overall catchment health.
Develop an understanding of biodiversity and water-dependent habitats, including local wildlife and bioindicators.
Explore Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in practice, including buffer strips, sediment traps, leaky dams, integrated wetlands, and other measures.
Take part in practical activities such as water audits, kick sampling and citizen science initiatives.
Visit sites to explore local water quality and landscapes, view Nature-based Solutions in action, and discuss how these approaches could be applied within local communities.
Learn from guest speakers and technical experts, including organisations working in water management and restoration.
Explore opportunities for community-led action and develop a pipeline of projects with the support of the project team.
Pitch project ideas to a panel of experts leading to a shortlist of successful proposed projects.

Knowledge Exchange Events

Alongside the ECO Programme, a series of Knowledge Exchange Events will be delivered throughout the project. These events will be rolled out over time and may include:

Visits to demonstration farms and sites to explore Nature-based Solutions and water conservation measures in practice.
Cross-border learning opportunities between communities in the Fane and Strule Catchments.
Networking and knowledge-sharing with other cross-border and EU-funded projects working in the region.
Sharing local experiences, good practice examples, and innovative approaches to water protection.

To express an interest, please complete the form here

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 River Basin Management Service.

River Basin Management Service

The River Basin Management Service 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.