EU Nature Restoration Law: Evidence-based through the WaterLANDS Project

Join us for an in-person discussion on the impacts of, and necessity for, binding restoration targets to protect ecosystems and the services they provide. The discussion, through the lens of the WaterLANDS project, aims to examine why the proposed Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is necessary, and the challenges in its implementation.

This event will take place on Wednesday, May 22nd 2024 from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. in the Irish Architectural Archive (45 Merrion Square E, Dublin 02, D02 VY60).

Limited Availability. Secure your place now at this link!

About the WaterLANDS Project

The WaterLANDS project is a Horizon 2020 Green Deal-funded project seeking to upscale the restoration of wetlands across Europe. This project involves 32 partners across 14 European countries, disbursing €23 million for active restoration across ecological, community, governance and finance elements.

Biography

Dr Shane McGuinness

Shane is Assistant Professor in UCD School of Geography and a Coordinator of the WaterLANDS project. Shane is the founder and Director of Peatland Finance Ireland, a not-for-profit initiative aimed at establishing, and ensuring the management of, a national and catchment scale blended-finance system for peatland restoration in Ireland.

Dr McGuinness is a conservation biologist by training, specialising in the human dimensions of wildlife conflict. Shane has a BSc, MSc and a PhD in Conservation Biology from Trinity College Dublin. He previously worked in the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society of London, the Discovery and Learning Department of Dublin Zoo, and as a postdoctoral researcher in Trinity College, University of Galway, and in Policy and Advocacy for Birdwatch Ireland.

Dr Craig Bullock

Craig Bullock is a Research Fellow in Environmental Policy at UCD where he has worked in environmental economics and policy for over 20 years. His principal research interests are in the areas of environmental policy analysis, environmental valuation, the natural environment and ecosystem services.

In addition to his lead role on WaterLANDS, Craig has contributed to a wide range of projects including ESManage on ecosystem service values and the freshwater environment, EcoHealth on green infrastructure and human health and well-being, EU FP7 OPERAs project on operationalising the ecosystem service concept, EcoRisk, which looked at the environmental liability estimation in relation to ecosystem service values, and Adapt, adaptation decision making for climate change. He has over 100 research publications.

Panel Discussion with Dr Rebecca Jeffrey (NPWS)

Dr Rebecca Jeffrey works at the Science and Biodiversity Unit in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The NPWS is part of the Heritage Division of the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. The NPWS as an Executive Agency has responsibility for the protection and conservation of Ireland’s natural heritage and biodiversity at national government level, including management of National Parks and Reserves.