Minister of State Malcolm Noonan TD: Making space for water

Nature must be protected but is also a powerful tool that can be used to improve water quality and control flooding, as we strive for sustainable solutions, writes Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD.

Maintaining good water quality is vital for the wellbeing of our society, economy, and environment. Our water bodies are not only essential parts of our natural environment, but they are also a national asset that provides our drinking water, nourishes the land and contributes to a sense of wellbeing, whether we are swimming, boating, fishing, or just walking alongside them. The protection and restoration of our waters is a national priority.

Globally, water quality is under threat and there is a considerable challenge ahead to ensure the sustainable use and management of our finite water resources. Even in Ireland, where our water quality is comparatively good and water is relatively abundant, our natural water systems are at substantial risk from increasing nutrient pollution, physical modifications, and urban pollution. This is all happening while our water systems are becoming more vulnerable due to changing weather patterns.

One of the key principles of the new Water Action Plan is to deliver integrated policy objectives for water, biodiversity and climate wherever possible. The plan, which will be officially launched on 5 September 2024, promotes the use of nature-based solutions, both in rural and urban settings.

Not only can nature-based solutions provide attractive features and focal points within the landscape, they can also provide significant ecological value. Designed to manage rainwater, they slow and store runoff and allow it to soak into the ground. Their benefits are wide-ranging, filtering out pollutants that would otherwise end up in our waters, reducing flooding and easing the burden on combined sewer systems.

These climate-adaptive solutions provide other benefits in terms of urban greening, which can help to mitigate higher urban temperatures. They also contribute towards a more pleasant urban environment that can prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, and other sustainable travel modes.

In an urban setting, pressures on water quality primarily result from direct surface water discharges and storm water overflows from combined sewers. However, sewer leakage, misconnections to storm drainage along with runoff from paved and un-paved areas area also puts pressure on water quality. In turn, this negatively affects water quality in the natural environment, including bathing water quality.

As urban development continues, surface water runoff from impermeable surfaces increases. This is further exacerbated by climate change as the frequency of intense rainfall events also increases.

Recent research, based on an analysis of European flooding records from 1960 to 2010, suggests that increasing autumn and winter rainfall has already resulted in increasing floods in northwest Europe, including Ireland. We need to change our planning and design philosophy to ensure we consider making space for water by incorporating integrated catchment management principles and water-sensitive urban design.

Nature-based solutions are designed to address rainfall in urban or paved areas in a manner as close as possible to the natural environment. This is achieved by replacing paved or impermeable areas with permeable nature-based surfaces, such as urban rain gardens, permeable paving in parking areas, swales and retention basins. These areas can provide volumetric storage within a catchment in existing or new green areas, which allows both infiltration to groundwater and attenuation of surface water runoff. Nature-based solutions should be located by determining where the surface water flows and then planning drainage routes and solutions along that path to capture overland flow and minimise flood damage.

There is also a benefit to integrating nature-based solutions in a rural setting. A recent ‘Farming for Water’ European Innovation Partnership project aims to support up to 15,000 farmers in implementing on-farm water protection measures. Led by the Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO), and in partnership with Teagasc and Dairy Industries Ireland, it focuses on reducing losses of nutrients, sediment, and pesticides to water bodies from agricultural lands. In turn it promotes the adoption of innovative best practice in nutrient management, the application of nature-based solutions and other suitable measures.

“We must seize every opportunity to harness the power of our natural environment as we seek sustainable pathways to improve our water quality.”

Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD

To encourage better understanding and adoption of new approaches Government departments have published several guidance documents relating to the application of nature-based solutions, including:

• Nature-based Solutions to the Management of Rainwater and Surface Water Runoff in Urban Areas, November 2021;
• Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets: Advice Note 5, Road and Street Drainage using Nature-based Solutions, August 2023;
• Greening and Nature-based SuDS for Active Travel Schemes, September 2023;
• Nature Based Management of Urban Rainwater and Urban Surface Water Discharges: A National Strategy, May 2024; and
• Rainwater Management Plans: Guidance for Local Authorities, May 2024.

In addition, pilot demonstrator projects have been funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in Cobh, County Cork and Dublin city, which will help to guide the wider use of nature-based solutions by demonstrating their efficacy in an Irish context.

In June 2024, President Michael D Higgins signed the Future Ireland and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill into law. The newly established Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund is expected to be a significant source of funding for projects looking to address specific climate, nature and water objectives, such as the use of nature-based solutions. Of the total of €14 billion, €3.15 billion is available for climate, nature, and water protection spending between 2026 and 2030.

I feel strongly that, as a country, we must seize every opportunity to harness the power of our natural environment as we seek sustainable pathways to improve our water quality. It is essential that we protect and restore our waters to preserve our natural heritage for future generations.