Summary
Northern Ireland’s water resources are managed and protected using a catchment based approach which includes rivers, lakes and groundwater as well as coastal and transitional water bodies. The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 requires the production and implementation of a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) in six yearly cycles. The River Basin Management Plan takes an integrated approach, identifying those water bodies which can be classified as being at ‘good or better’ status. It also sets the objectives and a programme of measures for the
Documents
- Screening report on the determination of the need for a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the draft RBMP 2021 - 2027
- Screening matrix for the Habitats Regulations Assessment for the Draft RBMP 2021-2027
- Habitat Regulations Assessment Test of Likely Significance Spreadsheet 2021
- Rural Needs Act (NI) for the draft RBMP 2021-2027
- Equality & Disability Screening for draft RBMP 2021-2027
- Draft third cycle River Basin Management Plan for Northern Ireland 2021-2027
Consultation description
The 3rd cycle RBMP period runs from 2021-2027. NIEA presents this draft river basin management plan (the draft plan) for the 3rd cycle RBMP period, whose publication was delayed due to key staff being re-deployed in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The draft plan provides an update on the health of Northern Ireland’s water environment (the status of water bodies), but also sets out our targets (objectives) and actions (programme of measures) on how we want to improve our water environment in the next six years. The draft plan covers the North-Western, Neagh Bann and North Eastern river basin districts (RBD), but also includes detailed status updates on each RBD.
The public consultation is open for a period of six months until the 10 October 2021. NIEA encourages you to respond as early as possible due to the shortened timescales in preparing the final river basin management plan for December 2021.
NIEA catchment data map viewer
Supporting documents for the Draft 3rd cycle River Basin Management Plan
Ways to respond
Consultation closed — responses are no longer being accepted.