Significant Water Management Issues

Significant Water Management Issues -

Digest of Comments

Water Matters “Have your say” - Response to stakeholders’ submissions - Northern Ireland

Article 14 of the EC Water Framework Directive requires the publication of a Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) Report for each River Basin District (RBD), at least two years before the beginning of each river basin planning period.

Water Matters “Have your say” is the summary of the significant issues identified, to date, in each RBD.  Each report also outlines the current measures for dealing with the issues.  A clear understanding of objectives, issues and measures is essential because these will determine what will be incorporated into the first River Basin Management Plans, which will run from 2009 - 2015.

The reports for the four River Basin Districts can be accessed by clicking below:

• North Eastern River Basin District - Water Matters ( pdf 1.68 MB)
• Neagh Bann International River Basin District - Water Matters ( pdf 1.71 MB)
• North Western International River Basin District - Water Matters ( pdf 1.72 MB)
• Shannon International River Basin District - Water Matters ( pdf 1.65 MB)

The reports were issued jointly by the responsible authorities for the three IRBDs; Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland) and the lead County Councils of Monaghan, Donegal and Limerick (Ireland).  They were published for public comment on the 22 June 2007.   EHS is now pleased to publish a Significant Water Management Issues - Digest of Comments (pdf 508 KB).   A link to the NS SHARE Facilitators Report on Significant Water Management Issues Public Meetings in Northern Ireland  can be found on their website.

Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) are promoting nine Catchment Stakeholder Groups (CSGs) to help support better integration and focus of water management at a more localised level.  The Water Matters "Have Your Say" reports were the sole agenda item for a series of autumn 2007 meetings of these Groups.  Many inputs were recorded at these meetings, which were chaired by independent facilitators through the NS SHARE project.  As well as clarifying local issues, these meetings identified many examples where locally based groups are working to protect and improve the aquatic environment.

The inputs to the consultation are summarised as follows:

• Formal written responses to the four Water Matters Consultation Documents;
• Questionnaire responses and “Post-its” at the autumn 2007 CSG Meetings;
• Facilitators Reports of those meetings and
• Detailed notes taken at the CSG meetings by EHS staff
  

The consultation process yielded over 1200 comments taken from written submissions and comments made at the public meetings. The comments were grouped into similar themes, reviewed by government Departments/Agencies and responses provided in the SWMI Digest.  The digest has been produced as the formal Government response to the Consultation.

Responses and inputs to the SWMI process were received both before, as part of the identification of significant issues and after the formal consultation period, which ran from June to December 2008.  This included responses from organisations such as: Ulster Angling Federation, Northern Bank Angling Club, Banbridge Angling Club, RSPB and the NI Branch of the British Hydropower Association.

The digest will be considered by EHS and partner Departments/Agencies when preparing the draft River Basin Management Plans, which will be published for public consultation in December 2008.