SWAN Research Project: Abstraction of groundwater & surface water in Ireland & implications for meeting Water Framework Directive objectives.

The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) seeks a team of researchers to conduct a desk-based research project on water abstraction as a significant water management issue in Ireland. This report will provide an evidence-based analysis of the impacts of small and large scale abstractions on Ireland’s surface water, groundwater and groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTEs), including cumulative impacts and the implications for Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation and the meeting of WFD targets.

It will provide a full review of EU and Irish policy, legislation and guidance relevant to water abstraction, including a critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current legislative and regulatory system to control abstractions and to meet WFD objectives. It will furthermore include a significant comparative study of abstraction control regimes in other EU Member States and elsewhere, with a focus on best practise applicable in Ireland. The research must be based on a comprehensive review of all relevant national and international peer-reviewed and secondary literature, in addition to international case studies. Based on the above research and literature review, the key output from the research will be a set of evidence-based recommendations setting out proposed actions to control water abstractions in order to achieve sustainable water management, mitigate the pressure on surface water, groundwater & GWDTEs and meet WFD objectives.

An important element of the research project will be consultation with a key experts, decision-makers and relevant stakeholders.

For a more detailed tender brief and further enquiries please email [email protected]

The project deadline is July 30th 2015. The budget is in the region of €22,000 (including VAT).

Proposals should be submitted by email to Sinead O’Brien or Bojana Ferjan, Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) at [email protected] by February 28th 2015