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Project title

WFD Future Scenarios and Management Tools

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

Michael Bruen

Project Abstract

WFDFutures will address the effects of future climate and demographic change on the flow regimes, hydromorphology, water quality and ecology of rivers and estuaries draining rural and urban catchments. It will assess measures to prevent/ reduce or mitigate the impacts of change so that the information-base and toolkit needed to plan and manage Ireland's actions under the Water Framework Directive requirements. WFDFutureS will do this by distilling data, models and insights from a wide range of completed and on-going research projects and funnel them through a multi-disciplinary group of senior researchers and collaborating post-docs into practical tools for use in managing Ireland�s waters and responding to the needs of the European Water Framework Directive. It will develop scenarios of climate and demographic change and, using the new or improved tools, predict the likely consequences for water quality in Ireland. It will investigate the performance of measures for preventing, reducing or mitigating adverse consequences and will determine how best, and where, to deploy them. The project will build research and water quality management capacity by producing knowledge, scenarios of change and modelling tools for use by the EPA. It will.. (i) Produce a comprehensive state of knowledge report on the extent and consequences of climate and demographic change. (ii) Build research and modelling capacity in the EPA�s Catchment and Climate change units through a modelling toolkit developed by post-docs working with PIs and EPA staff. (iii) Build true inter-disciplinary capacity in the Irish scientific research community by their collaboration in this project and a future pool of skilled post-docs. (iv) Develop scenarios of climate and demographic change and, using the new/ improved modelling tools, predict the likely consequences for physico-chemical and ecological water quality in Ireland. (v) Determine the effectiveness of measures for preventing, reducing or mitigating adverse consequences and provide tools for deciding how best, and where, to deploy them. (vi) Policy briefs (for Government) and Infographics and media briefs (for public) It will produce over 11 peer review international journal papers, 15 International conference publications and presentations, quarterly newsletters for wide public dissemenation. It will maintain, a web-site, ResearchGate Project site, facebook and Twitter accounts with regular updates (and linking to Catchments.ie).

Grant Approved

�1,499,851.00

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

Understanding, managing and conserving our water resources

Start Date

31/03/2021

Initial Projected Completion Date

30/03/2025