World Water Day has been marked with funding for over 150 projects to improve water quality across the island of Ireland.
The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), which works for Ireland’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water quality, said it is awarding funding to 155 projects in 26 counties under the “Community Water Development Fund Open Call 2024.”
Under the fund, local communities and groups were invited to apply for financial assistance to support the delivery of projects and initiatives to enhance local water bodies and benefit water quality and biodiversity.
Since 2018, LAWPRO has made over €2.7m available through this funding scheme to local communities and groups, assisting in implementing the Water Framework Directive through Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan.
Types of projects approved for funding under this year’s open call include:
- River and habitat enhancement work, such as planting native tree species and hedgerows, pollinator-friendly planting, river-bank stabilisation, fencing, and installation of riparian buffer zones near water bodies (areas free of chemical and organic fertilisers, cultivation, and spraying).
- Preparation of reports: feasibility studies, habitat management plans, ecological surveys, and hydromorphology studies.
Awareness-raising initiatives include citizen science workshops, biodiversity information boards, outdoor classrooms, river clean-ups, rainwater harvesting, and wetlands.
LAWPRO is also rolling out a new funding stream, the “Catchment Support Fund”. This funding will build the capacity of community groups to grow and develop to support the delivery of the River Basin Management Plan.
Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, welcomed the announcements.
Funding applications details for the ‘LAWPRO Catchment Support Fund’ will be available here from Wednesday March 27th and the fund closes for applications on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024.
