The Greens presented a revamped Water Action Plan (WAP, formerly known as the River Basin Management Plan) to Cabinet last week, the third and most robust plan to protect and improve Ireland’s rivers, lakes and coasts. Ireland is experiencing a sustained decline in water quality, with half of its rivers, a third of its lakes and two thirds of its transitional waters classified as being in ‘moderate’, ‘poor’ or ‘bad’ status.
The ambitious plan, which will be published in September, aims to reduce water pollution and improve the quality of more than 300 bodies of water by 2027. It will be implemented with the support and involvement of local communities who are most affected by the quality of their local water.
The WAP continues strategic investment in wastewater infrastructure, with funding of more than €2.3 billion to Uisce Éireann since 2020.
The new measures in the plan will bring together communities, NGOs, farmers and industry to understand the challenges in their area and work together to solve them. The measures will be implemented through local work plans developed through structured public meetings.
One of the most important aspects of the plan is the review of the Arterial Drainage Act, which will rethink the approach to flood management.
“Preventing floods and increasing Ireland’s resilience to extreme rainfall is of the utmost importance. Flooding has had devastating consequences for many people in recent years, affecting lives and livelihoods, as well as biodiversity and water quality. That’s why it’s so essential that we review the Arterial Drainage Act and bring it into the 21st century,” Nature Minister Malcolm Noonan said.
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