Janice R. Andrews
Rivers in Northern Ireland are severely contaminated, and the famous Lough Neagh is witnessing an ecological collapse. The region is hurting from this environmental disaster. The area’s waterways are in a terrible state, as shown by the most recent study from the Rivers Trust, which calls for immediate action.
The report states that not a single river segment in Northern Ireland has been able to obtain an overall status of ‘excellent’. The largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh, is shockingly referred to as a “ecological disaster” because to extreme pollution. It has been established that harmful cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as blue-green algae, are present, endangering the delicate ecological balance.
Recent cyanobacteria-related events at Cranfield Point and Reas Wood highlight how serious the situation is. The situation is grave, with 100% of river sections not meeting the requirements for acceptable ecological status and a startling 70% not meeting any requirements at all.
Water quality is being degraded due in large part to agricultural contamination, which is made worse by a lack of regulation and monitoring. About 300 river segments are impacted by nutrient contamination from agricultural practices; the issue is exacerbated by sewage, urban runoff, and industrial activity.
Rivers Trust’s director for all of Ireland, Mark Horton, has issued a warning, citing Lough Neagh as a worldwide illustration of the fallout from ignoring environmental governance and water quality.
Among the main concerns at the core of the problem are:
Pollution from agriculture
Insufficient oversight and implementation of ecological policies
Absence of accountability and ownership, especially in regard to Lough Neagh
In order to address the underlying causes of this environmental disaster and stop further depletion of Northern Ireland’s valuable water resources, immediate action is required.
