Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2022
95. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding interim findings from the slow water project, funded by the OPW and the Environmental Protection Agency, which is due to be completed in 2023 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20495/22]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has been engaged in a number of activities to assess and develop nature-based solutions that can have benefits for Water Framework Directive, flood risk management and biodiversity objectives.
In 2019, a four-year research project, under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research programme, titled ‘A Strategic Look at Natural Water Retention Measures’ (SLOWWATERS) commenced. This ongoing research has a budget of €508,000 and is co-funded by the OPW and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. The research, which is due to be completed in 2023, will assess the benefits of nature-based solutions for agricultural catchments in Ireland. The project outputs will provide recommendations for the management of specific catchment types relevant to the Irish environment by quantifying the magnitude of nature-based solutions required to reduce flood peaks and improve downstream water quality by attenuating nutrients.
The research is being led by Professor Mary Bourke of Trinity College Dublin and the team includes authors of the Environment Agency (UK) Working with Natural Processes – Evidence Directory from Newcastle University and The James Hutton Institute in Scotland as well as participants from University College Cork. A review and evaluation of Irish and international best practice has been completed by the research team, the findings of which are due to be published in academic papers this year.
Demonstration sites have been established on farms in Co. Cork and Co. Wexford and nature-based solutions have been constructed at each site. These demonstration sites will be used to develop a portfolio of potential approaches and methodologies to reduce flood risk and generate co-benefits including sediment and nutrient attenuation and ecosystem enhancement. Data collection and analysis of the performance of the measures at the demonstration sites is ongoing. Initial findings have contributed to a chapter authored by researchers from the SLOWWATERS project, ‘Nature-based solutions for flow reduction in catchment headwaters’ in a book ‘Spatial Flood Risk Management’, recently published for open access through the Elgar online website.
(www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781800379527/9781800379527.xml)
