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Nature Based Solutions Conference – 4th and 5th June, 2025

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, welcomes the Nature-based Solutions Conference – To Protect and Restore Urban, Rural, Coastal and Riverine Environments. Hosted by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), with a number of supporting partners, the conference will take place on the 4th and 5th of June 2025 in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), Dundalk, Co. Louth.

The conference is free of charge and open to all. It will be of particular interest to those wanting to understand and incorporate Nature-based Solutions into urban, rural and coastal environments.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Minister O’Sullivan said: “Nature-based Solutions have a large role to play in protecting water quality by helping to create climate resilience and improving biodiversity. We need more solutions to environmental issues that work with nature rather than trying to control it. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimate that one third of climate mitigation needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, can be provided by Nature-based Solutions. This conference will bring together experts who can share their experience and ideas for how to integrate and mainstream Nature-based Solutions into water management practice.”
Minister O’Sullivan

Nature-based Solutions

Climate change, water shortages, flooding, and the loss of biodiversity are creating serious challenges in today’s society. While reducing waste and consumption remains essential, there are also ways to harness the power of nature to strengthen our resilience.

Nature-based Solutions use the natural environment such as soil, plants, and landscape design to help manage climate risks. These methods can reduce flooding and drought impacts, improve water quality by filtering pollutants, and support biodiversity.

By working with nature, not against it, we can build healthier, more sustainable places to live. Consequently, Nature-based Solutions have the ability to provide multiple sustainable benefits including but not limited to:

The management and control of surface water run-off / slowing the flow i.e. Climate Mitigation.
Improving Water Quality through its ability to treat surface water run-off.
Increasing biodiversity and amenity value in public realm areas by the introduction of plants, making for more ecologically valuable and more attractive places – greening in the grey.

CPD Approved

Please note:- This event is CPD approved by ENGINEERS IRELAND

Speaking about the conference Dr Fran Igoe, Regional Coordinator with LAWPRO said: “Although the application of Nature-based Solutions is something new to many people in Ireland, our ancestors have been applying Nature-based Solutions techniques for millennia, from rainwater harvesting to planting of hedgerows. Basically, any technique that harnesses nature or is informed by nature is a Nature-based Solutions technique and we see them all around us, from sustainable agriculture using practices in harmony with the environment to planting trees in urban spaces. This conference aims to go deeper and specifically showcase projects and techniques being mainstreamed and upscaled to address the emerging modern-day challenges within the Irish societal context.”
Dr Fran Igoe, Regional Coordinator, LAWPRO

Conference Program

The second Irish Nature-based Solutions conference organised by the Local Authority Waters Programme will provide a focus on the use of Nature-based Solutions technologies suitable for Ireland, drawing from international and local experts, professionals and practitioners from the public and private sectors.

This is a two-day conference event. Day 1 will focus on upscaling and mainstreaming of Nature-based Solutions to protect and restore urban, rural, coastal and riverine environments. Day 2 will consist of masterclass workshops focusing on the following themes: urban Nature-based Solutions, River Restoration and Coastal Restoration.

Nature-Based-Solutions-Program-2025 Download

Learn More

Further details on the event, including attendance options are provided at the time of registration. Register to attend here:

Event: Nature-based Solutions Conference 4th-5th June 2025 – Local Authority Waters Programme

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.