As part of Rural Water Week 2021, the NFGWS hosted its second Rural Water Webinar on the 8th and 9th of September.
Building on the success of last year’s event, the theme this year was ‘Future-proofing the Rural Water Sector’ and included a vast range of speakers who gave some extremely informative and thought-provoking presentations on a whole range of topics which impact the rural water sector, including governance, climate change and community engagement. This year's webinar also included a special announcement from Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), Darragh O'Brien TD, who revealed the winners of the inaugural Group Water Scheme Excellence Awards.
All presentations from the event are now available to watch below or on the NFGWS YouTube channel.
Day 1 - Session 1: Ongoing Review of the Rural Water Sector
Webinar Opening Address — Feargal Ó Coigligh - Assistant Secretary, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (DHLGH)
Review of Rural Water Sector — Dr Joanne Walsh - Principal Officer, DHLGH
NFGWS Future Vision and Expanding Role for the GWS Sector — Barry Deane - CEO of the NFGWS
Day 1 - Session 2: River Basin Management Planning
River Basin Management Plan 2022-2027 — David Flynn - Principal Advisor, DHLGH
Protecting Water While Sustaining Agriculture — Bernard Harris - Nitrates and Biodiversity Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
GWS Integrated Source Protection Plan Initiative — Jean Rosney - Senior Development Co-ordinator, NFGWS
Day 2 - Session 1: Addressing Environmental Challenges
Emerging Contaminants of Concern — Dr Michelle Minihan - Senior Inspector, Environmental Protection Agency
Implications of Climate Change for Rural Water — Professor John Sweeney - Maynooth University
'Let it Bee' Initiative — Seán Corrigan - Source Protection Officer - NFGWS
Day 2 - Session 2: Ensuring a Vibrant Future for Community-Owned GWS Sector
Ensuring Sustainable Rural Development — Melissa Moloney - Rural Strategy and Social Enterprise Unit, Department of Rural and Community Development
A Reflection on Past and Future Rural Water Challenges — Seán Clerkin - National Policy Advisor, NFGWS
The full event programme, with details of the speakers and topics, is available here.
You can also watch back all of the presentations from the Rural Water Webinar 2020 here.
