Some 90% of Ireland’s protected habitats in 'unfavourable condition', climate watchdog warns

'Healthy wetlands and floodplains help absorb and store excess rainfall, while coastal dunes and saltmarshes provide natural defences against erosion, sea level rise, and storm surges,' Climate Change Advisory Council says. File picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Some 90% of Ireland’s protected habitats are in an “unfavourable condition”, the Climate Change Advisory Council has warned.

In a new report, the council said 42% of protected species have an unfavourable conservation status, with the “majority of protected habitat types continuing to decline”.

“Reversing this decline requires immediate action to tackle the pressures driving biodiversity loss, alongside sustained investment to restore habitats,” it warned.

More than half (51%) of protected habitats are deteriorating, leaving Ireland more vulnerable to climate impacts, including flooding, drought and wildfires, it said.

“Healthy wetlands and floodplains help absorb and store excess rainfall, while coastal dunes and saltmarshes provide natural defences against erosion, sea level rise, and storm surges,” the council said.

“As these habitats deteriorate, communities lose protections that complement built flood and storm defences,” it added.

The council also warned rising sea levels, coastal erosion, coastal flooding and storm surges would pose “substantial risks to critical habitats for biodiversity, including estuary and intertidal habitats, particularly where there is not sufficient space for the inland migration of habitats”.

“While coastal ecosystems are thus vulnerable to climate change impacts, the role of nature-based measures within integrated, multi-sectoral approaches for managing coastal and marine areas is becoming increasingly evident,” the council said.

“These measures need to be prioritised as part of adaptive coastal management approaches that recognise long-term coastal change driven by sea level rise and coastal erosion,” it added.

The council said ecosystem restoration and re-establishment under the draft National Restoration Plan could deliver an estimated €32.9bn in socio-economic benefits between 2024 and 2050, against estimated costs of €5.8bn.

“These benefits include reduced flood risks, improved water quality, increased carbon sequestration and healthier ecosystems,” the council said.

The watchdog welcomed the €112m allocated to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for 2027 but said the funding gap for biodiversity protection and restoration was estimated at €700m a year, and a “dedicated long-term funding programme to deliver the National Restoration Plan is urgently needed”.

It called for multi-annual funding commitments, greater investment in nature-based measures, and financial support for farmers and landowners to restore and manage habitats.

The council also warned of a “severe skill shortage” across specialist areas of biodiversity conservation and restoration. It urged the Government to add these roles to the critical skills list to help attract non-EU nationals.

Council member Yvonne Buckley said we “know how serious the problem is, yet we still haven’t committed the long-term funding needed to turn things around”.

“There is a clear business case for this investment into biodiversity and nature restoration efforts. Without functioning and restored ecosystems, Ireland will suffer economically, ecologically and socially,” Ms Buckley said.

“The increase in funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service is welcome, but it is not enough,” she said.

Ms Buckley welcomed the €715m committed to the OPW for flood risk management between 2026 and 2030, but said: “We need to see the same level of ambition when it comes to restoring the wetlands, peatlands and coastal habitats that help protect communities across Ireland.

“Nature is critical infrastructure that helps us to achieve our climate mitigation and adaptation targets with many co-benefits. It is not an optional extra."