Catchment News

Science Week: New video launched on the draft River Basin Management Plan, science and communities

Minister Malcolm Noonan introduces the draft River Basin Management Plan 2022-2027. We discover how science has informed the plan and how young people and communities can get involved to protect local water quality.

This video was launched by The Water Forum during Science Week 2021.

Have your say on the Plan

Virtual Consultation Room: The Local Authorities Waters Progamme has a virtual consultation room available at https://drbmp-vcr.ie/ which will tell you all about the Plan and allow you to make a submission.

Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government: The draft River Basin Management Plan and information on how to make a submission are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/2bda0-public-consultation-on-the-draft-river-basin-management-plan-for-ireland-2022-2027/

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.