Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) Report on the Drivers and Pressures Affecting Nature in Northern Ireland

Current pressures on nature in Northern Ireland are unsustainable and urgent action is needed to protect and improve the environment for this and future generations, says the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).

In a new report, the OEP has systematically assessed the drivers and pressures impacting upon nature, and identified the relevant challenges associated with particular sectors of the economy.

Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the OEP said: “Nature sustains the Northern Ireland economy and the health, wealth and wellbeing of its people. Protecting the natural environment is therefore fundamental to achieving economic and social goals. More and more has been demanded of the environment over many years, and it is now clear that more pressure has been applied than the land and water can bear. Government must act urgently and decisively, not only to reverse a lifetime of environmental degradation and to restore the diversity of Northern Ireland’s habitats and species, but also to ensure a sustainable agri-food industry and wider economy. Failure to do so risks a heavy toll on the prosperity and well-being of future generations.”

The report finds that the two principal pressures causing biodiversity loss are land use change and pollution, closely linked to agricultural intensification. Excess nutrients, in the form of fertilisers and animal wastes from farming and from sewage, are the main forms of pollution having an impact. The report finds that agri-industry in its current form is making unsustainable demands on the environment.

Alongside agriculture and sewage management, other issues contributing to on-going biodiversity loss include waste management, resource extraction, urban development and chemical pollution.

The Office for Environmental Protection identifies three areas where action should be prioritised:

1. Reduce pollution by nutrients from farming and sewage. Northern Ireland has an unsustainable nutrient surplus.

2. Change land use to restore habitats. Most semi-natural habitats have been destroyed or become fragmented by land use change. A focus on restoration and nature-positive land use change is essential.

3. Reduce material and ecological footprints. The extraction, consumption and disposal of raw materials are causing widespread damage to biodiversity within Northern Ireland and beyond.