"The country will fail to meet the target of restoring all waters to "good" or better status by 2027 if the scale and pace of progress is not improved, a new EPA report has found. The latest Water Quality in Ireland Report, which assessed the quality of Ireland's rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters, canals and groundwaters between 2019 and last year, found an overall deterioration in water quality despite some improvements."
"Excess nutrients from agriculture, urban wastewater and other human activities remain the biggest challenge to achieving better water quality. Land and river drainage, forestry and urban development are among the activities that have contributed to damage of the physical condition of habitats. While nutrient levels are reducing in areas where actions are being targeted, the EPA has said the scale and pace of implementation must be increased."
Progress is insufficient to meet the 2027 target to restore all waters to 'good' status without faster, larger-scale effort. Overall water quality deteriorated between 2019 and 2022 despite localized improvements. Just over half of rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters meet water quality objectives, a 2% decline. Excess nutrients from agriculture, urban wastewater and other human activities are the main pressures. Land and river drainage, forestry and urban development have damaged habitat condition. Coastal waters show 82% high or good status and lakes 68%. Rivers have 52% unsatisfactory to bad status; transitional waters 70% unsatisfactory. Groundwaters and canals are stronger at 92% and 87% good status. Targeted actions are reducing nutrients in some areas, but implementation must accelerate.
#water-quality #nutrient-pollution #rivers-and-coastal-waters #habitat-degradation #2027-restoration-target
Read at Irish Independent
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