<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> 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.</p></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.

A review of water quality policies in relation to public good benefits and community engagement in rural Ireland

Environment Soils and Land Use Department, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Wexford,

VetAgro Sup, Campus Agronomique de Clermont-Ferrand, 89 Avenue de l’Europe – BP 35, 63370 Lempdes,

Rural Economy and Development, Teagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Galway,

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

This paper examines current recreational water use in the rural landscape in Ireland and reviews current EU policies and national regulations aimed at...

A review of water quality policies in relation to public good benefits and community engagement in rural Ireland

Article Category: Research articles

Published Online: Apr 06, 2017

Page range: 99 - 115

Received: Jun 15, 2016

Accepted: Dec 21, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/euco-2017-0006

Keywords
agriculture, nutrients, water quality, participation, benefits, Ireland

© by Karen Daly

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

A review of water quality policies in relation to public good benefits and community engagement in rural Ireland

Article Category: Research articles

Published Online: Apr 06, 2017

Page range: 99 - 115

Received: Jun 15, 2016

Accepted: Dec 21, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/euco-2017-0006

Keywordsagriculture, nutrients, water quality, participation, benefits, Ireland

© by Karen Daly

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
agriculture, nutrients, water quality, participation, benefits, Ireland