Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

180 Chapter 7: Nature EU LIFE projects The EU LIFE programme 2021-2027 funds environmental, climate and energy objectives. The programme seeks to develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and approaches to reach EU environmental and climate goals. Integrated projects support authorities in EU Member States in implementing environmental and climate plans, programmes and strategies developed at a regional, multi-regional or national level. One of four main themes in the LIFE programme is ‘Nature and Biodiversity’. Some of the Irish nature and biodiversity LIFE projects include Waters of LIFE, 17 the Corncrake LIFE project (below), LIFE on Machair 18 , the Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE project and the Kerry Life Freshwater Pearl Mussel project (Topic Box 7.4). 17 www.watersoflife.ie/ (accessed 4 April 2024). 18 www.lifeonmachair.ie/ (accessed 18 April 2024). 19 www.corncrakelife.ie (accessed 4 April 2024). Corncrake LIFE project and Curlew Conservation Programme Ireland’s population of endangered corncrakes has risen by more than one-third in recent years, according to the latest figures provided by the NPWS (2024). These show that the number of breeding territories in 2023 surpassed 200 for the first time in a decade. The increase has been brought about following the introduction of a multi- million-euro conservation investment in 2019, funded by the EU LIFE programme. 19 Similarly, the Curlew Conservation Programme has reported the largest number of young curlew (Figure 7.21) fledged in the wild since the programme began in 2017 (Harrison et al. , 2023). The project is supported by the NPWS and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). It reported that 42 chicks reached fledgling stage in 2023, up from 19 in 2022, representing more than double the number of chicks reaching the stage of being able to fly (Harrison et al. , 2023). Figure 7.21  A curlew chick Credit: Barry O’Donoghue, NPWS