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Chapter 5: Inland and Marine Waters
The WFD makes explicit provision for the use of Economic
Policy Instruments (EPIs), in combination with other
measures, for the purpose of achieving environmental
policy objectives (Lago
et al
., 2015). Economic measures
can help society to avoid water-related investments
that are economically inefficient and environmentally
damaging. They can also help to manage an increasingly
scarce resource in ways that are both fair and efficient
(Convery, 2013).
What are Economic Policy
Instruments?
“EPIs are incentives designed and implemented
with the purpose of adapting individual decisions
to collectively agreed goals. They include incentive
pricing, trading schemes, co-operation (e.g. payment
for environmental services) and risk management
schemes. EPIs can significantly improve an existing
policy framework by incentivising, rather than
commanding, behavioural changes that may lead
to environmental improvements. They can have a
number of additional benefits, such as creating a
permanent incentive for technological innovation,
stimulating the efficient allocation of water services,
promoting water use efficiency, etc.”
Lago. et al. (2015).
Conclusions and Future
Challenges
The Current Condition of Inland and
Marine Waters and the Pressures Acting
on Them
In summary, based on preliminary analysis of the most
recent datasets, there has been no improvement in
river water quality (based on Q values) or transitional
and coastal water quality over the past six years (EPA,
2016a). Overall, lake water quality has got slightly worse
with a 3% reduction in the number of monitored lakes
at satisfactory status. A full water framework directive
assessment covering the period 2013 to 2015 will be
available towards the end of 2016. However, it is already
clear that insufficient progress is being made with
improving Ireland’s surface water quality.
While overall the length of unpolluted river channel has
remained relatively constant there has been a substantial
loss in the number of sites where highest quality river sites
are found (i.e. Q value of 5). In the most recent monitoring
period (2013-2015) only 21 sites were classified as the
highest quality rivers (0.7% of sites) compared with 575
between 1987 and 1990 and 82 between 2001 and
2003. This is an area where substantial effort is required to
protect the few remaining highest quality rivers and return
impacted ones back to their earlier extremely high quality.
Eutrophication, which is caused by excessive nutrient
inputs (generally phosphorus in the case of inland waters
and nitrogen in the case of marine waters), remains the
most significant environmental issue for surface waters.
The two most important suspected causes of pollution
are agriculture and municipal sources, accounting for
53% and 34% of cases, respectively, in the case of
rivers, for example. Nutrient inputs, particularly from
the agriculture sector, have fallen, with reductions of
18.7% and 37.7% in nitrogen and phosphorus sources,
respectively. There is increasing evidence that the physical
condition (hydromorphology) of surface waters may be
as important to maintaining healthy ecosystems as the
quality of the water sustaining them. Excessive siltation in
particular is a cause for concern. Some physical barriers in
river catchments, such as impassable weirs, are preventing
certain protected fish species from migrating and
consequently affecting the health of these populations.
Work is ongoing to investigate these further.
Anticipated increases in environmental pressures
on waters due to human population growth and
agricultural output as a result of the planned expansion
in production under Harvest 2020 and its successor,
Food Wise 2025, will need to be carefully managed to
ensure that not only deterioration is prevented but that
water quality improvements take place. More targeted
management measures are needed in the agricultural
sector to accelerate the improvements required to achieve
environmental targets set for waters.
Untreated urban waste water discharges continue to be
a concern and impact on both the aquatic ecosystems
themselves and their amenity value. Continued investment
in infrastructure and a reversal in the recent decline in
capital expenditure are essential to provide the waste
water treatment necessary to protect receiving waters.