NAMA II needed to save natural resources

OUR forests, peatlands, lakes, rivers, seas and coasts are places of wonder, diversity and beauty.

They are also the economic engines that provide livelihoods, fresh water, food, fuel, recreation, energy resources and tourism.

However, these essential natural assets and resources are currently managed by numerous and often conflicting government departments, agencies and laws which can lead to poor management – often leading to neglect.

In order to overcome the enormous challenges faced by our natural world – including pollution, habitat loss, invasive alien species, overfishing and climate change – we need one unifying national authority to develop policy that will protect, maintain and restore the health of our natural ecosystems.

In order to promote the security and supply of natural assets/resources such as fresh water, timber, biodiversity, etc, which form a major part of the economic backbone of all economic development, we are calling for a new Natural Assets Monitoring Authority (NAMA II) to be set up immediately by the Government. This is essential to our future development and will give “real-world” back-up to the proposed National Assets Management Agency (NAMA) which only deals with money and ‘kick-starting’ financial services in Ireland after years of greedy and ill-considered economic developments which have put enormous pressures on our natural assets and resources.

Tom Roche

Co-ordinator

Just Forests

Rhode

Co Offaly

www.justforests.org