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Our Aquatic Environment: Conservation and Restoration

Workshop to explore the future of water protection across the island of Ireland.

A one‑day workshop, Our Aquatic Environment: Conservation and Restoration, will take place on Thursday 12 February 2026, from 10:30am to 3:30pm, at Ulster University’s Belfast Campus, York Street, Belfast, BT15 1ED.

Book your ticket here

Co‑organised by Ulster University, the Northern Ireland Science Festival, and the Royal Irish Academy’s Climate Change and Environmental Sciences Committee, the event will bring together expertise from across the island of Ireland to examine the state of ‘our aquatic environment’ and the actions being taken to protect and restore it.

The workshop will consider the theme through a range of perspectives, including policy and governance, scientific assessment, social awareness, interdisciplinary research, and climate science. It is designed for water scientists, researchers, policy-makers, and stakeholders working in environmental protection.

The workshop includes a keynote talk and two panel sessions. The first looking at threats to the aquatic environment and the second exploring policy and action to mitigate these threats.

After the workshop, science journalist Olive Heffernan will deliver a public lecture. You can book tickets for the lecture directly through the Northern Ireland Science Festival website.

Abstract landscape illustration showing stylised waves in blue and cream flowing across the foreground. Dark green hills and a pale sky with a soft orange sun sit in the background. Logos for the Royal Irish Academy, Ulster University, and the Northern Ireland Science Festival appear along the bottom.

Learn more

To explore the current status of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries, and groundwater bodies, EPA Water Maps – Catchments.ie – Catchments.ie. The interactive EPA water maps allow you to view water quality, pressures, and actions happening in your local area.

For details on actions to protect and restore Ireland’s waters, visit Taking Action – Catchments.ie – Catchments.ie

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.