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

Chapter 6: Nature 6. Research and Knowledge Base One of the objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan is to ‘strengthen the knowledge base for conservation, management, and sustainable use of biodiversity’ (DCHG, 2017); this objective addresses the need for research to strengthen biodiversity conservation. Ireland’s 6th CBD report outlines the progress made by research to fulfil this objective and is a good synopsis of activities undertaken in this area (DCHG, 2019a). The report found that the measures taken to achieve this objective have been effective. LIFE Funding The EU LIFE programme is the EU’s funding stream for the environment and climate. The current funding period spans from 2014 to 2020 and has a budget of €3.4 billion. Details of some of the LIFE projects that have been funded in Ireland, such as Burren LIFE, Aran LIFE, Kerry LIFE and Raised Bog Restoration LIFE, were outlined in the previous state of the environment report (EPA, 2016b). The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has been awarded EU LIFE funding of €5.9 million for a 5-year project on corncrake conservation called LIFE Atlantic Crex, and funding of €20.6 million for an integrated project targeting blanket bog restoration called LIFE Wild Atlantic Nature. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has also been awarded over €9 million in funding for an integrated project, Waters of LIFE, targeting work towards high status waters (see the Blue Dot programme in Chapter 7). EPA Research EPA-funded biodiversity research has a strong focus on ecosystem services, natural capital and Ireland’s peatlands. The EPA has a statutory role in coordinating environmental research. EPA-funded research has a strong focus on policy and is driven by national regulations and European directives. Policy-related research plays a vital role in ensuring that EU and national policies are implemented in the most cost-effective manner. Since 2016, the EPA has funded up to 50 new research projects relevant to the Nature area; a commitment of €9.5 million. These were funded mostly under the Sustainability (Natural Capital) and Water Pillars of the EPA Research Programme 2014- 2020. More information on EPA-funded research can be found on the EPA website. 35 35 http://www.epa.ie/researchandeducation/research/ Research on the Biodiversity Benefits of Rewetted Peatlands Natural peatlands are biodiverse. They are under severe threat in Ireland and globally through practices such as drainage and peat extraction. The EPA-funded NEROS project (Network Monitoring Rewetted and Restored Peatlands/Organic Soils for Climate and Biodiversity Benefits; Renou-Wilson et al. , 2018) investigated the biodiversity and climate mitigation benefits of rewetting peatlands. A recommendation of the project is that high-resolution maps of Irish peatlands, under various management and disturbance regimes, should be developed to target priority sites for biodiversity and/or climate benefits. Sundew Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital The ecosystem approach, incorporating natural capital accounting, seeks to ensure that biodiversity is recognised as part of a wider socio-economic ecological system and is considered in decision making. The ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. Natural capital accounting 36 involves attributing a measurable economic and/ or ecological value to the ecosystem goods and services that provide benefits to society. Natural capital accounting has been the subject of a recent EPA funded research project ‘Irish Natural Capital Accounting for Sustainable Environments: Stage 1 Feasibility Report’ (Farrell and Stout, 2020). This project aims to apply Natural Capital Accounting at a pilot (catchment) scale in Ireland. This interim Report reviews natural capital accounting approaches, data requirements for the project, catchment selection, potential applications and feasibility. The 2020 review of the National Biodiversity Action Plan notes that the integration of natural capital accounts into decision making is an area for more emphasis within the plan. 36 https://www.naturalcapitalireland.com/ 151