EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 impacts on water quality and associated habitats and species. Nature-based and natural water retention measures should also be considered as solutions for flood protection and flood alleviation works. Example of these measures include restoring ecosystems such as wetlands and reconnecting floodplains with water courses to better regulate the flow and transport of water. These types of solutions are encouraged in EU policies, as outlined by the European Environment Agency (EEA, 2019a). Topic Box 5.6 Greener More Sustainable Cities and Urban Regeneration Green infrastructure is based on the idea that protecting and enhancing nature and natural processes, which provide many benefits to society, needs to be integrated into spatial planning to underpin sustainable development. Green infrastructure consists of strategically planned and managed networks of natural and semi-natural areas. These areas provide a wide range of ecosystem services including biodiversity support, water purification, air quality, flood management, recreation and climate mitigation and adaptation (Figure 5.5). This network of green spaces (and blue spaces, for water linkages) helps to sustain (and can improve) our environment, our health and our quality of life. It also creates job opportunities and supports the green economy . Green infrastructure planning involves recognising the many benefits that green (and blue) spaces provide and protecting and managing these spaces within statutory land use plans. Figure 5.5  Components of Green Infrastructure (Source: EC, 2013) 8 | green wall beehives sh ladder reedbed green roof wild ower verge hedgerow multifunctional farming wildlife overpass biodiversity-rich business park Natura 2000 Forest Rachel Hudson/butterfly track Potential components of a Green Infrastructure ❚ Core areas of high biodiversity value which act as hubs for GI, such as protected areas like Natura 2000 sites ❚ Core areas outside protected areas containing large healthy functioning ecosystems ❚ Restored habitats that help reconnect or enhance existing natural areas, such as a restored reedbed or wild flower meadow ❚ Natural features acting as wildlife corridors or stepping stones, like small watercourses, ponds, hedgerows, woodland strips ❚ Artificial features that enhance ecosystem services or assist wildlife movement such as eco-ducts or eco-bridges, fish ladders or green roofs ❚ Buffer zones that are managed sustainably and help improve the general ecological quality and permeability of the landscape to biodiversity, e.g. wildlife-friendly farming ❚ Multi-functional zones where compatible land uses can join forces to create land management combinations that support multiple land uses in the same spatial area, e.g. food production and recreation The European Commission (EC, 2011) identified that restoring a leas 15 per cent of degraded ecosystems in the EU and expanding green infrastructure use will help overcome land fragmentation. Land fragmentation involves splitting up the landscape into smaller areas. This can impact on natural habitats and make it more difficult for animals to move safely in the modified l ndscape. Ireland’s National Planning Fr mework r qui local authorities to incorporate planning for green infrastructure and ecosystem services into statutory land use plans. Similar commitments are also provided in regional spatial and economic strategies and at the county level, for example Fingal’s Green Infrastructure Strategy. Significant growth in green and blue schemes has occurred in Ireland since 2016. Recent examples of successful schemes include the Waterford Greenway and the Barrow Blueway. These schemes offer many nvironmental and health benefits, as well as providing opportunities for sustainable tourism and support to the local economy. If not carefully designed and developed and subjected to the proper environmental assessments, however, these types of schemes have the potential to impact on existing green infrastructure. For example, projects that aim to provide routes through Special Areas of Conservation or Special Protection Areas may risk undermining these designations. 118