The Office of Public Works, (OPW), has an on-going relationship with the Department for Infrastructure, DfI Rivers, Northern Ireland, which is the Competent Authority for the implementation of the EU Floods Directive in Northern Ireland.
In 2009, the OPW and Dfl Rivers agreed to establish a Cross-Border Co-ordination Group to co-ordinate the implementation of the EU Floods Directive across the border. This work was supported by a Cross-Border Technical Co-ordination Group. These groups have met on numerous occasions since to coordinate on the identification of Areas of Potentially Significant Flood Risk, to share information and agree approaches to the production of flood mapping in border areas and to coordinate on the identification of measures and the preparation of Plans.
The Erne Catchment was assessed under the OPW’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme (CFRAM), in close co-operation with DfI Rivers. The study considered increasing watercourse conveyance of the Erne system to lower water levels as a measure to reduce flood risk. This study revealed that water levels in the majority of the Erne catchment in Ireland remain unchanged regardless of any works that could be carried out in Northern Ireland.
DfI Rivers was represented throughout the CFRAM study on the relevant project steering, progress and stakeholder’s groups as well as on the National CFRAM Steering Group. DfI Rivers is a member of the National Floods Directive Coordination Group, which has met on 12 occasions since November 2018, with the next meeting to be held in the coming weeks.
