Ireland’s Ramsar Wetlands Committee will launch Irish Wetland Types – An Identification Guide and Field Survey Manual this week, National Biodiversity Week. Ireland’s Ramsar Wetlands Committee (IRWC) comprises representatives from universities, state bodies and non-governmental organisations. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (National Parks and Wildlife Service) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly host and fund the activities of the IRWC.
Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said,
Forty-five of Ireland’s wetland sites are of international standard and are on the List of the Ramsar Convention’s Wetlands of International Importance. However, there are also thousands of smaller, but still valuable, wetland sites across the country. They are an important part of our wider environment, helping to underpin our economy and wellbeing. They are worthy of protection, not alone because of the biodiversity they support, but also because of the role they play in providing essential ecosystem services – for example through flood attenuation and regulation of water quality.
The manual provides information for the non-specialist on the different types of wetlands in Ireland and how to identify them. Training events on using the manual to identify wetland types, such as bog woodland, marsh, upland flushes, fen and reedbed, will be provided on a phased basis.
Dr. Jonathan Derham, Programme Manager of the EPA said,
The biodiversity of wetlands in Ireland has been estimated to be worth €385 million per year to the Irish economy, not including that generated through tourism. Ireland’s wetlands include bogs, rivers, lakes, ponds, turloughs, estuaries, and marsh land. Key to understanding and protecting these valuable cultural and economic assets, is to be able to recognise and classify them.
A critical aspect of understanding how our landscape and environment supports our health, wellbeing and economy is to learn to see it. Too often irreparable damage is done before land users, developers and communities come to recognise what it is they are interfering with (e.g. through drainage, infill, etc.). Part of the challenge of any aspect of environmental preservation is recognising the public asset and the essential services our environment provides.
An electronic version of the manual and accompanying field survey form is available for free download on-line at NPWS, EPA and IRWC websites.
Notes to Editors
The Irish Ramsar Wetlands Committee (IRWC) was set up by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2010 and is co-hosted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). IRWC is a widely representative group, drawing its membership from government departments, public authorities, local government, non-governmental organisations and academia.
The aims of IRWC are to advance the protection, appreciation and understanding of wetlands in Ireland and to promote the implementation of the Ramsar Convention; an international agreement for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Under the Convention wetlands of international importance are designated as Ramsar sites. The ecological importance of wetland habitats has also been recognised by the European Union under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive in designating protected sites. Ireland has 45 Ramsar sites, all of which are covered by national and European designations. Many other wetlands occur outside of designated sites and also provide a host of ecological and other essential services.
This manual is based on a publication by the Scotland & Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research edited, with permission, to reflect Irish wetlands.
National Biodiversity Week runs from 19th – 27th May 2018.
The new publication will be launched at an event hosted by Irish Rural Link’s Community Wetlands Forum in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary on 25th May 2018. Fittingly, this announcement coincides with World Biodiversity Day, 22nd May 2018.