Story by Alan Jacques
LIMERICK’S Groody River has been showcased to regional development agencies from eight countries across Europe as a good practice example of environmental and tourism projects.
The visit was organised by the Mid-West Regional Authority (MWRA) as part of its ongoing remit as a partner agency in the EU-funded ‘Territories of Rivers Action Plans’ (TRAP) project. The two-year project is aimed at benefitting partner regions through the transfer of good practices in integrated water and landscape management.
As well as visiting the Groody River in Limerick, regional development agencies from Finland, Slovenia, Latvia, Greece, Romania, Netherlands, UK and Ireland also stopped off at Lough Derg and the Olatrim River in Tipperary.
The study led to three of the EU partners – Latvia, Greece and the UK – transferring the good practices implemented in the Mid West into similar domestic projects.
Speaking during the visit, Mid-West Regional Authority Chairman Cllr Oliver Garry commented: “The TRAP project and interregional meetings such as this enable the MWRA to benefit from exchanges with other partner regions, each of whom has particular expertise in one or more areas such as governance, monitoring, aquatic environment or river tourism.
“The MWRA can also share its best practises in the area of governance, given its extensive experience of Regional Planning Guidelines and the important role that they can play in the sustainable development of an area.”
During their visit the TRAP project partners were addressed by a number of public agencies with responsibility for Lough Derg, including Waterways Ireland, Fisheries Ireland and the Office of Public Works. Visits were also undertaken to the Olatrim and Groody Rivers which are subject to improvements works by the OPW and Fisheries Ireland under the Environmental River Enhancement Programme (EREP).
According to director of the MWRA, Liam Conneally, “policies adopted in the region on landscape, flood risk assessment and protection of aquifers were lauded by our Latvian partners who will be transferring these policies into their own regional planning strategy.
“They hope to improve policy guidance at a regional level as this is weak in Latvia, and of particular relevance to a number of rivers that traverse Latvia but originate in neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, our UK partner, The Association of River Trusts is transferring the environmental and ecological work practices being implemented on the Olatrim and Groody Rivers into its own projects”, he said.
