The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) seeks a researcher to conduct a desk-based research project on agriculture as a significant water management issue in Ireland, entitled ‘Impacts of agriculture on Ireland’s water resources & implications for meeting Water Framework Directive and Nitrates Directive objectives’. This will look at agriculture’s impacts on freshwater, transitional and coastal waters, and groundwater and groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTEs) and the implications for Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Nitrates Directive (ND) implementation, the status of Ireland’s waters and the meeting of WFD and ND targets. The research must be based on a wide range of primary and secondary literature, including national and international peer-reviewed publications.
The final report should provide an evidence-based analysis of the impacts of the full range of agriculture practices on Ireland’s waters, including cumulative impacts and the implications for Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation and the meeting of WFD and ND targets. It will also provide a comprehensive review of relevant EU and Irish policy, legislation and guidance, including a critical analysis of the efficacy of the above to control agricultural impacts in order to meet WFD and ND objectives in Ireland. It will also include a comparative study of management / regulatory regimes in other jurisdictions, and best practice applicable to Ireland. The research will be based on a wide range of national and international primary (peer-reviewed) and secondary literature, in addition to international case studies and best practice.
Based on the above research and literature review, the key output from the research will be a set of evidence-based recommendations setting out proposed actions to regulate / manage agricultural impacts in Ireland (including restoration) in order to meet WFD and ND objectives.
Tender submissions of no more than 8 A4 pages should be sent by email to Sinead O’Brien at sobrien@swanireland.ie cc’ing info@swanireland.ie by 1.00 p.m., Tuesday, November 12th.