An Fóram Uisce requests submissions to undertake research on peatland management in the Republic of Ireland entitled “Optimising Water Quality Returns from Peatland Management while Delivering Co-benefits for Climate and Biodiversity “.
Peatlands, in the form of raised bogs, blanket bogs, and fens are of cultural and economic importance, providing multiple ecosystem services. Yet, it is estimated that only 23% of the original peatland area of Ireland is of conservation interest as a result of the way in which many of the Ireland’s peatlands have been managed. Over 37% of Ireland’s active raised bogs within the country’s protected Special Areas of Conservation have been lost in the past 20 years.
Peatland degradation has been identified as a common contributory factor in the unfavourable status of many water-dependent habitats and species; and peat extraction is a significant pressure acting on many water bodies. Healthy peatlands help provide natural filtration processes to clean water, they help to ‘slow the flow’ and reduce the quantity of water entering rivers and lakes, they help regulate climate change, they support unique biodiversity, and they provide multiple cultural services. But degraded peatlands negatively impact water quality and as a result of peat extraction, drainage and the physical modification of aquatic habitats, result in the release of ammonium, sediment and carbon, and biodiversity is reduced.
The Water Forum wishes to offer a research tender for a scoping study to provide strategic guidance for the Forum’s consideration as to how peatland management can be reimagined for Ireland’s future with regards to optimising water quality improvements while delivering co-benefits for climate change and biodiversity.
The maximum budget available is €25,000.
The deadline for submissions is Monday 14th September.
For queries, please contact Dr Alec Rolston, Research Lead: alec@nationalwaterforum.ie
The Request for Research document is available to download here.
All submissions must be made using the Application Form which is available for download here.
