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Project title

Mitigating Agricultural impacts through Research and Knowledge Exchange

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine

Lead Organisation

Teagasc

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

Improving water quality is a complex problem. It relies on the interaction between hydrology, weather and human behaviour. The problem depends on both identifiable point sources and harder to identify diffuse sources. Dealing with a problem of this complexity means that there is no �one size fits all solution�. As the drivers are local, the most effective solutions must be local. In order to deliver national objectives of achieving good water quality status and maintaining the water quality of high status areas, requires localised information, delivering local solutions, customising the range of innovation support measures to reflect the natural, social and demographic characteristics of the target area. To get local solutions right, to ensure better targeting and outcomes, there is a need for stakeholder involvement in identifying appropriate measures and metrics that may be required at local level to supplement those already in place at a national level, for developing local understanding of measures and instruments and for framing of simple and positive measures and actions. In finding workable solutions to such a complex problem, the delivery of a successful operational plan requires the whole innovation system to work together in a common objective; including the Implementation group (farmers, NGOs and the community), the Knowledge group (researchers, trainers, advisors, funders) and Policy group (regulators, policy makers) (AgImpact Project; Doole et al., 2011). Many research projects focus on specific components of the problem. This project needs to be multi-disciplinary involving bio-physical research to understand the environmental context and design mitigation solutions, behavioural analysts to understand attitudes and behaviours and to design routes to improved incentives for all stakeholders and economic researchers to identify the most cost-effective institutional responses or operational programmes (policy, infrastructure, capacity building and market incentives) to deliver the objectives of the project. In order to improve the translation and integration of component research knowledge and to improve the application of knowledge at local/farm level; there is a need to include local authorities, DAFM, EPA and NPWS in the process.

Grant Approved

�499,753.46

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Ireland's Future Climate, its Impacts, and Adaptation Options

Start Date

01/12/2017

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2022