Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

135 Chapter 5: Land Table 5.4  Areas of land cover types at risk of coastal or river flooding (in hectares) according to the Office of Public Works’ high-probability flood scenarios Land cover type Area (ha) at risk under high-probability flooding scenario Coastal flooding River flooding Artificial surfaces 2,529 3,269 Exposed surfaces 4,961 2,767 Cultivated land 3,075 4,616 Forest, woodland and scrub 6,404 12,370 Grassland 29,130 50,256 Saltmarsh and swamp 4,419 1,190 Peatland 809 5,963 Heath and bracken 645 232 5. Responses to land use pressures and land demands A range of approaches are being taken to address land use pressures and goals in various countries, including Ireland. A capitals framework concept (DAFM and DECC, 2023d) identifies land as a critical resource underpinning economic, social/cultural and natural capital (Figure 5.13). These three types of capital are interrelated; activities in one can result in positive or negative outcomes in another. Natural capital refers to the direct and indirect value that nature provides to society (Dwyer and Wentworth, 2020). Natural capital includes freshwater, minerals, soil for growing food, and natural services such as pollination. An important conclusion of the capitals framework is that safeguarding natural capital requires a shift from policies that focus on different aspects of land use towards a more integrated approach (Dwyer and Wentworth, 2020). A Royal Society paper (RS, 2023) recommends that land use decision-making should be based on a multifunctional approach that considers natural aspects when making decisions about economic or social uses of land. Examples of national land use plans The importance of prioritising land use decisions as the basis for meeting socio-economic, climate change and biodiversity goals is supported by an assessment completed by the Danish Council on Climate Change (DCCC, 2024). The assessment considered how Denmark’s land use in 2050 would be able to meet three goals (limiting GHG emissions, achieving good ecological status in water bodies and making room for biodiversity). The assessment identified a synergistic effect: some land uses contribute to several objectives simultaneously if applied in the right locations. The synergistic effect could help to limit the costs of achieving the three objectives. Given that 72% of Denmark’s land is agricultural, the regulatory framework proposed in the assessment could be of significant interest to Ireland. Figure 5.13  A capitals approach to land use Natural Capital Social and Cultural Capital Economic Capital Land Use Potential Source: DAFM and DECC, 2023d