Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

133 Chapter 5: Land National policies and strategies, along with our existing land use practices, are placing demands on Ireland’s land. Not all locations and existing land uses can support changes in land use or the addition of different land uses. For example, artificial surfaces are generally not compatible with forestry or agricultural expansion targets, as this would require the removal of built surfaces first. Figure 5.11 shows a limited, high-level assessment of existing land cover types that are potentially physically compatible with a future change in land use. It indicates that up to 66.7% of Ireland’s land is potentially physically compatible with a change in land use. However, this assessment does not consider other important contexts, 5 www.climateireland.ie (accessed 2 July 2024). such as soil type or the social or economic aspects of a change in land use. Accordingly, the actual amount of land that is truly compatible with a change in land use – when soil type, social, economic and other factors are considered – is likely to be considerably less. The assessment doesn’t account for multiple land uses at the same location which will be an important approach for the future. A much deeper assessment of which land uses are suitable for different locations is required to create a clear picture of land demand in Ireland and to identify whether Ireland can accommodate all current land use demands. Figure 5.11  Area of land in Ireland that is physically compatible with a change in land use to meet policy targets Land cover type physically compatible with other uses (but may not be compatible based on soil type or socio-economic factors): 66.7% Land cover type physically incompatible with other uses or under a target to expand: 26.8% Land cover type under a conservation target: 6.5% Other land use constraints As well as social and economic factors, other constraints can influence the suitability of land for particular uses. Climate change brings increased climatic hazards. The Climate Ireland portal 5 identifies coastal erosion, inland flooding, coastal flooding and water scarcity as Ireland’s key climatic hazards of concern. Coastal erosion will influence future land use in coastal zones, depending on the strategic approaches adopted locally to respond to coastal erosion (Figure 5.12). Strategies to conserve existing developments or land uses in coastal zones can manage the impact but may require significant investment in hard infrastructure. Retreat allows for coastal erosion but may result in land uses or development projects having to be abandoned or for ‘no development’ policies to be implemented in coastal zones.