A review of water quality policies in relation to public good benefits and community engagement in rural ireland
Daly, Karen Breuil, Marion Buckley, Cathal O’ Donoghue, Cathal Ryan, Mary Seale, Catherine
Daly, Karen
Breuil, Marion
Buckley, Cathal
O’ Donoghue, Cathal
Ryan, Mary
Seale, Catherine
Publication Date
2017-01-01
Type
Article
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Citation
Daly, Karen; Breuil, Marion; Buckley, Cathal; O’ Donoghue, Cathal; Ryan, Mary; Seale, Catherine (2017). A review of water quality policies in relation to public good benefits and community engagement in rural ireland. European Countryside 9 (1), 99-115
Abstract
This paper examines current recreational water use in the rural landscape in Ireland and reviews current EU policies and national regulations aimed at protecting water quality and the wider environment under agri-environmental schemes. Specifically, we review policy instruments that protect water for recreational use, their impacts and the challenges they pose for rural development against current requirements to increase public awareness and participation. In Ireland, there is limited experience in public participation in water quality protection and restoration and we highlight how this can be addressed by focussing on the specific contribution of water quality in rural areas in relation to the provision of recreational ecosystem services. These services provide the infrastructure for much of Ireland's rural tourism sector. In this context, emerging participatory approaches to policy implementation are also assessed as national and local government prioritise community engagement for the second cycle under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).
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Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
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Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland