Smart Waters Beyond Borders: Collaboration, Water Quality and Citizens Symposium Working together for smarter, healthier shared waters.
Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th September 2026 Guildhall, Derry ~ Londonderry
About The Symposium An international symposium bringing together policymakers, scientists, practitioners and communities to explore new approaches to transboundary water governance, environmental intelligence and collaborative action for water quality and ecosystem resilience.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.2
Foreword It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of Loughs Agency, to welcome you to Smart Waters Beyond Borders: Collaboration, Water Quality and Citizens. Following the success of our International Symposium on Transboundary Water Management in 2024, this year’s symposium builds on that conversation, bringing together leading experts, policymakers, researchers, practitioners and stakeholders from Northern Ireland, Ireland, the UK, Europe and beyond. Together, we will explore how collaboration, environmental intelligence and meaningful participation can help us respond to the increasingly complex challenges facing our shared waters. The pressures on our aquatic environment are significant and interconnected. Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, changing land use, invasive species and pressures on water quality do not respect political or administrative boundaries. Responding effectively therefore requires shared understanding, robust evidence, effective governance and a willingness to work collectively across jurisdictions, organisations, disciplines and communities. As an organisation with a unique cross-border remit, Loughs Agency is committed to working with partners to meet these challenges. Our Science Strategy places robust scientific evidence and an ecosystem-based approach at the heart of our work, while our programmes increasingly demonstrate the value of bringing together science, technology, innovation and community knowledge. Rapid advances in environmental technologies are creating new opportunities to strengthen this work. Telemetry, sensors, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and digital twins are
transforming how we collect, analyse and understand information about our aquatic environments. Yet technology and data alone cannot deliver better environmental outcomes. The information we generate must be accessible, trusted and capable of supporting effective policy, regulation, management and investment decisions. Over the next two days, the symposium will provide a platform to explore these issues through presentations, panel discussions and practical engagement. We will consider the foundations for effective transboundary water governance, the role of environmental intelligence in better decision-making, and the importance of participation, trust and collaboration in translating knowledge into practical action. Most importantly, I hope these two days create new connections, ideas and partnerships that continue beyond the symposium. The challenges facing our shared waters are significant, but so too is our opportunity to respond collectively and build a healthier, more resilient future for our waters and the communities and ecosystems they support. Thank you for joining us. I wish you an enjoyable, thought-provoking and productive symposium.
Sharon McMahon Chief Executive, Loughs Agency
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.3
SPEAKERS AND CONTRIBUTORS KEYNOTE Ciaran Ó Cuinn - Centre Director, MEDRC
SESSION 1: INTEGRATED WATER GOVERNANCE ACROSS BORDERS Natália Nunes - Project Manager, EGTC Rio Minho, Portugal & Spain Dr Martin Guillermo-Ramirez - Association of European Border Regions Ele Jan Saaf - Senior Adviser on Water Management SESSION 2: ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE, PARTICIPATION AND TRUST Prof Owen McIntyre - UCC Centre for Law and Environment Dr Anne Marie O’Hagan - Principal Investigator, Coastal and Marine Systems Research, MaREI Centre, UCC Dr Sarpong Hammond Antwi - Dundalk Institute of Technology Shirley Clerkin - Project Manager, Tóchar Midlands Wetlands Restoration, NPWS Rebecca Kavanagh - PhD Researcher, Queen’s University Belfast SESSION 3: THE FUTURE OF WATER QUALITY IN IRELAND / NORTHERN IRELAND Ian Marshall - Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy, Queen’s University Belfast Angela Halpenny - Head of Environmental Regulation, NI Water Dr. Gareth Greer - Head of Water Catchment Unit, NIEA SESSIONS 4 AND 5: ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE / MODELS TO MANAGEMENT Cyrielle Delvenne - Marine Project and Data Manager, VLIZ Victoria Poppleton - National Biodiversity Data Centre Ciaran McGonigle - Loughs Agency SESSIONS 6 AND 7: PRESSURES TO POLICY / SHARED ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM Colin Armstrong - DAERA Claire Vincent - DAERA Dr Tim O’Higgins - DCEE Dr Jonathan Houghton - MOSAIC Dr Billy Hunter - ACCLIMATIZE Dr Thomas Garner - CMAP Dr Mathieu Lundy - CMAP
MODERATORS Louise Cullen, Prof Cathy Maguire and Caitriona Mullan.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.4
Angela Halpenny
Head of Environmental Regulation for Northern Ireland Water Ltd Angela’s role with Northern Ireland Water has responsibility for managing the company’s environmental regulatory duties, including the management of trade effluent from industrial customers. She has direct responsibility for leading the interface between NI Water and the environmental regulators, including submission of all wastewater and waste regulatory compliance reporting and developing environmental strategies and standards for the wastewater investment programme. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Environmental Science and a Master of Science in Biology of Water Resource Management. She is both a member of CIWEM and the Institute of Water and is a chartered Water and Environmental Manager and a chartered environmentalist. Angela leads on many environmental programmes for NI Water and is passionate about working in a field that can make real improvements to nature, in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.
Dr. Anne Marie O’Hagan
Senior Research Fellow in Marine and Coastal Governance Anne Marie is a Senior Research Fellow in Marine and Coastal Governance. She is a Principal Investigator in the recently funded Research Ireland RINN Energy Centre on energy system decarbonisation. Anne Marie has a background in environmental science and law. She currently leads a national project on co-existence and co-location in shared island Marine governance (CoCoMar) funded by the Marine Institute, in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. She previously coordinated two EU-funded projects on Maritime Spatial Planning (SIMCelt and SIMAtlantic). Prior to that she worked on the legal aspects of ocean energy development including their environmental effects. She has worked on numerous EU and national multidisciplinary projects covering aquaculture, coastal climate adaptation, streamlining environmental assessment, risk-based consenting for offshore energy, and coastal management. Anne Marie is the Irish representative for the International Energy Agency’s Ocean Energy Systems (IEA-OES) Tasks on Environmental Impacts of Ocean Energy and also Consenting Processes; and the ICES Working Group on Marine Planning and Coastal Zone Management (WGMPCZM). She is an invited member of the Government’s National Stakeholder Advisory Group on Marine Spatial Planning, and previously chaired the sub-group on law and governance of the Government’s Expert Advisory Group on expanding Ireland’s network of Marine Protected Areas.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.5
Dr Billy Hunter
Science Lead for ACCLIMATISE Dr Billy Hunter is the Science Lead for the ACCLIMATISE project and Senior Marine Chemist at AFBI. Billy’s research focuses on climate change and its effects on marine ecosystems. He is the current chair of the UK’s Clean and Safe Seas Evidence Group, which provides advice to UK policy makers on marine pollution. Before joining AFBI, he held academic posts at Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Vienna. He holds a PhD in Marine Biogeochemistry from the University of Aberdeen, and his research explores how environmental change shapes carbon and energy flow across diverse marine and aquatic ecosystems.
Caitriona Mullan
Independent Specialist and Senior Expert Caitriona Mullan is an independent specialist in cross border policy, development cooperation and territorial governance, and working across the EU and EEA. She is a Senior External Expert for the European Commission, advising on structural funds with a current focus on Central and Eastern Europe. She is also an expert advisor to the DG REGIO/AEBR b-Solutions initiative which analyses and supports solutions to legal and administrative obstacles across all EU internal and EEA/IPA borders. Her portfolio includes a role as International Expert with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Centre of Expertise in Multilevel Governance, and she has recently been appointed as an advising expert to the EU Committee of the Regions. Caitriona’s technical background spans three decades of public service, policy work and research North and South on the island of Ireland in the areas of local government, regional development, EU Funds, health systems, tertiary research and education. She is north-south adviser to the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland and a Senior Research Associate with the Centre for Cross Border Cooperation and the International Centre for Local and Regional Development. Caitriona teaches on the M.A. in Territorial Diplomacy at the University of Strasbourg Sciences Po. She is a practitioner reviewer for the Journal of European Planning Studies and for the Journal of Borderlands Studies.
Cathy Maguire
Head of Assessments at the Office for Environmental Protection Cathy Maguire is the Head of Assessments at the Office for Environmental Protection and leads on assessing and reporting on governments’ progress in improving the natural environment in line with their Environmental Improvement Plans, goals and targets. Prior to joining the OEP she worked at the European Environment Agency and had responsibilities for design, coordination and lead authorship of the State and Outlook for the European Environment Reports 2015 and 2020. Cathy has over 25 years’ experience in developing knowledge that supports policy and decision making and has worked in the public and private sectors, academia and civil society. Cathy has a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Biology, MSc in Applied Environmental Sciences and a PhD in freshwater ecology and invasive species. She is currently an honorary Professor of Practice at Queen’s University Belfast. She was included in the ENDS Power List 2025 of the UK’s most impactful environmental professionals. SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.6
Ciarán McGonigle
Director of Aquaculture and Shellfisheries Ciarán joined Loughs Agency in 2003 as a Marine Scientist and led on the development of shellfish monitoring programmes to support the roll out of the first licensing system on the native oyster fishery in Lough Foyle in 2007. Ciarán managed the delivery of the annual shellfish stock assessment work programme and was engaged in numerous scientific monitoring projects such as the Baseline Survey of Shellfish Resources in Lough Foyle 2007, SMILE/EASE Carrying Capacity Projects 2005-2016 and the IBIS research projects on shellfisheries 2012-2015. Ciarán took on the role of Angling and Fisheries Improvement Manager in 2021 and was tasked with conducting a Review of Angling for the Agency. This culminated in the delivery of a new Strategy for Fisheries and Angling Improvement for Foyle and Carlingford which recommended the resourcing of a new specialised unit within the Agency to deliver large-scale fisheries and angling improvement actions. Ciarán was appointed Interim Director of Aquaculture and Shellfisheries in 2022 and has successfully implemented the actions from the Fisheries and Angling Improvement Strategy during 2023 through this new unit and is continuing to pursue new funding opportunities to improve fisheries and angling in Foyle and Carlingford using nature-based approaches to tackle problems such as poor water quality at a catchment-based scale. Ciarán is a graduate of the University of Ulster Coleraine and University College Cork having attained a master’s in Fisheries Management, Development and Conservation.
Ciarán Ó Cuinn Centre Director, MEDRC
Ciarán Ó Cuinn is a specialist in peace processes and international relations, particularly the development of mechanisms to deal with trans-boundary environmental issues. He leads MEDRC, a multilateral international organization headquartered in Muscat, Oman with a mandate to use transboundary environmental issues in support of peace processes. A former Ministerial policy Adviser at Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice and Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, he spent more than a decade working on the various elements of the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
Claire Vincent
Deputy Director of Strategy and Delivery within DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division Claire Vincent is a Deputy Director of Strategy and Delivery within DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division. As a marine scientist with over 35 years of experience in the Department, Claire has worked in various aspects of water management including water policy, monitoring and assessment, catchment management and conservation. SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.7
Colin Armstrong
Deputy Director of Water and Marine Policy and Legislation within DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division Colin Armstrong is a Deputy Director of Water and Marine Policy and Legislation within DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division. As an environmental scientist with over 20 years of experience in the Department, Colin has worked in a range of water and marine management roles and is now responsible for leading the policy and legislation programme.
Cyrielle Delvenne
Marine Project & Data Manager at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Cyrielle Delvenne is a Marine Project & Data Manager at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), specializing in FAIR, open-science data management across European marine and environmental research infrastructures. Her expertise spans the design and operation of open data spaces including work within the Green Data Space, EOSC, and EDITO, where she helps build interoperable systems that make ocean and environmental data findable, accessible, and reusable across disciplines. A core part of her work is sustaining scientists in building virtual research environments: she leads Virtual Labs development in D4Science as part of Blue-Cloud 2026 (now EOSC European Digital Twin Ocean). Alongside this scientific work, she has a strong focus on community and user engagement, playing an active role in growing and supporting the EDITO user community, and regularly leading trainings, workshops, and talks that help researchers and practitioners get real value from these infrastructures. Her communication and training skills are grounded in first-hand field experience as a scientific diver who has worked with critically endangered species. She brings a practitioner’s understanding of conservation needs to her work connecting infrastructures like EMODnet, Copernicus and EDITO to real-world ocean science. This combination of technical data expertise, community-building, and science communication makes her especially effective at bridging the gap between complex digital infrastructures and the researchers who rely on them.
Ele Jan Saaf
Senior Advisor on Water Management Ele Jan Saaf is a senior development specialist who has worked on water, environmental and climate change issues in Asia, the Middle East and Africa for close to 30 years. Ele Jan has been part of negotiations, research, advisory services, evaluations and presentations on transboundary water issues and water and peace issues throughout his career. Notable examples are:
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.8
• • • • • • • • • •
Evaluations and research for the Middle East Desalination Research Centre (MEDRC) on transboundary water issues in the Middle East (Palestine, Jordan and Israel) as well as “Using Transboundary Environmental Issues in the Service of a Peace Process” EU-funded mediation of water issues in the Jordan Valley between Palestine, Israel and Jordan (Exact); Senior Evaluator for the Evaluation of the EU support to the Water Convention - Phase 1 (2019-2021) and Phase 2 (2022-2024); On behalf of IUCN and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre support to mediation between Ethiopia and Kenya on the Gibe Hydropower Dams in the Omo River Basin; Advisor of the Netherlands Embassy in Islamabad on inter-provincial water management in Pakistan; Senior Advisor for the EU-funded b-solutions/AEBR programme for transboundary water resource management between Romania and Hungary; Advisor to the board of the Mediterranean Water Institute (Institut Méditerranéen de l’Eau – IME) in Marseille and manager of the hydro-diplomacy portfolio; Lead consultant for the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience Project (Nile Basin); Support to the Representation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in Ramallah and the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in Tel Aviv for the development of joint Israeli/ Palestinian water programmes, and development of a transboundary wastewater protocol; Development of the transboundary Climate change adaptation strategy for the Danube Delta.
Gareth Greer
Acting Head of the Water Catchment Unit within the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Gareth Greer is the acting Head of the Water Catchment Unit within the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). He leads strategic work on water quality and has a keen interest in bringing together science, policy and regulation to improve environmental outcomes across Northern Ireland. Before joining NIEA, Gareth worked for the Environment Agency in England and with the Department for Infrastructure Rivers, gaining extensive experience in river management, aquatic ecosystems and environmental protection. He holds a PhD in Environmental Science from Ulster University and has a particular interest in applying scientific evidence to inform policy and regulatory decisionmaking.
Ian Marshall
Head of Business Development and Policy at the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE) Ian Marshall is Head of Business Development and Policy at the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), where he facilitates strategic connections between research, industry, and government on renewable energy, decarbonisation, and the green circular bioeconomy. Previously, he held a similar role at QUB at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), advancing research-industry collaboration across food integrity, agricultural and environmental resilience, nutrition and preventative medicine, enabling technologies, and data analytics. SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.9
In 2018, Ian was elected as an Independent Senator to Seanad Éireann, becoming the first Ulster Unionist ever elected to the upper chamber of the Irish Parliament, where he served until 2020. Ian studied Agriculture at Greenmount College and holds an MSc in Agri-Food Business Development from Ulster University and Babson College, Boston, USA. He is a Professional Member of the Institute of Agricultural Management, having completed his training through the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester. As former President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union and former member of the Northern Ireland Agri-Food Strategy Board, Ian has extensive experience representing agricultural and rural interests in Northern Ireland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Having managed the family dairy farm for over 30 years, he now works off-farm full-time and supports his son running the dairy business acting as his primary advisor, mentor, and tormentor!
Jonathan Houghton
MOSAIC: Understanding change in a shared ocean Dr Jonathan Houghton is a Reader in Marine Biology at Queen’s University Belfast and, together with Professor Paulo Prodöhl, serves as QUB Principal Investigator on the MOSAIC programme. His research spans marine ecology and conservation, with a particular focus on highly mobile marine predators, their prey and responses to environmental change. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, using a range of techniques from satellite tracking and biologging to underwater video systems and stable isotope analysis. He has worked across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, collaborating with researchers from more than 40 countries, and has contributed scientific advice to national and international bodies including Defra and the UN Convention on Migratory Species.
Louise Cullen
BBC News NI’s Agriculture & Environment Correspondent Louise Cullen is BBC News NI’s Agriculture & Environment Correspondent. Her role covers everything from conservation, farming and innovation, to water quality, research and the ESG agenda. Her career started more than 20 years ago with Reuters, following her graduation from Queen’s University Belfast in Law & Accounting. After launching BBC Radio Ulster’s News in the West service for Fermanagh and Tyrone, she became the first district journalist for County Tyrone before returning to Broadcasting House in Belfast in 2013. There, her roles have included forward-planning, newsreading and being the health reporter during the COVID pandemic. Since becoming the Agriculture and Environment Correspondent, she has immersed herself in a world of climate challenges, opportunities and solutions. Outside work, Louise is a keen reader and puzzler, qualified Zumba instructor, occasional baker and closet poet.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.10
Martín Guillermo Ramírez Association of European Border Regions
Martín Guillermo Ramírez holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a Master of Humanitarian Medicine and has almost four decades of experience in international cooperation. He worked in youth organisations (1989-1995), at the Regional Government of Extremadura (Spain) in the scope of cooperation for development, international relations and health and welfare policies (1995-2006) and, since 2006, he has been the Secretary General of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR/ARFE/AGEG), one of the oldest associations of regions in Europe (founded in 1971). AEBR represents the interests of European border and cross-border regions towards EU institutions, national authorities, and other bodies. It promotes capacity building, strategic development, and public policies to overcome cross-border obstacles and fosters relationships with cross-border processes in other continents to exchange experiences and best practices.
Dr Mathieu Lundy
Head of Marine Recovery at Ulster Wildlife Dr Mathieu Lundy is Head of Marine Recovery at Ulster Wildlife, where he leads programmes to restore native oyster reefs, seagrass meadows, and saltmarsh habitats across Northern Ireland. A conservation biologist with more than 20 years’ experience spanning terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, Mathieu has built a career bridging scientific research, policy, and community-led conservation. Mathieu’s expertise spans marine habitat restoration, citizen science, spatial ecology, species distribution modelling, ecosystem-based management, and stakeholder engagement. He is particularly passionate about connecting people with nature through community participation, volunteer development, and citizen science, ensuring that conservation action is both scientifically robust and locally driven. He holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from Queen’s University Belfast and has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and book contributions. Throughout his career, he has worked to translate ecological evidence into practical solutions that support nature recovery, sustainable management, and resilient coastal communities.
Natália Nunes
Project and Communication Officer at the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Natália Nunes has an academic background in International Relations, European Studies, Management and Accounting and serves as Project and Communication Officer at the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, established to foster cross-border cooperation across the River Minho territory, bringing together 26 municipalities (10 in Portugal and 16 in Spain). SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.11
Her work focuses on European territorial cooperation, project management and institutional communication, supporting the development, implementation and communication of crossborder initiatives involving public authorities, partner organisations, technical teams and local stakeholders. She contributes to EU-funded cooperation projects in areas such as cross-border and multi-level governance, sustainable territorial development, environmental sustainability, biodiversity and ecological restoration, sustainable tourism, and the valorisation of shared natural and cultural resources. Her multidisciplinary background allows her to connect project implementation, institutional communication and stakeholder engagement, contributing to shared responses to the social, environmental and territorial challenges of a complex cross-border region.
Owen McIntyre
Professor of Law at University College Cork Owen McIntyre is Professor of Law at University College Cork, Director of the LLM Environmental & Natural Resources Law and LLM Marine & Maritime Programmes, and Co-Director of the UCC Centre for Law and the Environment. He is a recognised expert in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, with a particular research focus on International and Comparative Water Resources Law. He is General Editor of the Journal of Water Law, Joint Editor of the Irish Yearbook of International Law, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Liability: Law, Policy & Practice and Series Editor of the Brill International Water Law Monograph Series. He has recently been appointed to the Compliance Committee of the UN Protocol on Water and Health (Protocol to the UN Water Convention) and serves as a member of the Water Law Working Group of the World Bank’s Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development (GFLJD). Amongst other roles, he has also served as inaugural chair of the IUCN Specialist Group on Water and Wetlands, as a member of the EBRD Project Complaints Mechanism, as a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency, and as a member of the Irish Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board. He holds visiting positions at the University of Dundee, Charles University Prague, Xiamen University and Wuhan University.
Rebecca Kavanagh
PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast Rebecca Kavanagh is a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast with a professional background in marine planning, environmental consultancy, and marine policy across Ireland, Scotland, and the Basque Country. She has worked on coastal and marine management, ambient odour management, stakeholder engagement and the practical challenges of balancing competing uses in busy marine spaces. Her research focuses on how co-existence and co-location are understood and applied within Marine Spatial Planning, using comparative case studies to explore how different jurisdictions navigate spatial pressures from offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, fisheries, and other marine activities. Drawing on qualitative analysis and policy evaluation, she examines how governance systems interpret these concepts and how they can support more adaptive and inclusive marine management. SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.12
Rebecca’s work contributes to ongoing efforts to strengthen MSP practice by clarifying how coexistence and co-location might function as practical, grounded principles for managing shared marine space.
Sarpong Hammond Antwi
Research Fellow at Dundalk Institute of Technology Dr Sarpong Hammond Antwi is a Research Fellow at Dundalk Institute of Technology. His research focuses on water governance, environmental policy, public participation, and evidence-informed decision-making. His work examines how research, stakeholder knowledge, and participatory approaches inform environmental governance and policy delivery. He has worked across academic institutions, public bodies, community organisations, and international research consortia in Ireland, Europe, Africa, and Canada. His research has contributed to public participation and catchment governance practice in Ireland. Sarpong is a member of Young Academy Ireland, 2026 to 2030, and received a Highly Commended PhD Thesis Award from the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland in 2023.
Shirley Clerkin
Project Manager of the Tóchar Midlands Wetlands Restoration programme Shirley Clerkin is Project Manager of the Tóchar Midlands Wetlands Restoration programme, an EU Just Transition initiative supporting large-scale wetland restoration across Ireland’s Midlands. She has almost 30 years’ experience in environmental, heritage and community development, beginning her career with the Irish Wildlife Trust as Campaigns Manager and later serving as Natural Environment Officer with An Taisce. Until 2023, she was Heritage Officer with Monaghan County Council, where she led and collaborated on numerous cross-border and international projects, including the Collaborative Action for the Natura Network. Shirley has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and public dialogue, including chairing the EU Open Method of Coordination Working Group on Sustainable Cultural Tourism during the European Year of Cultural Heritage. A former board member of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, she has also produced documentaries, podcasts and publications on a wide range of heritage topics. Her academic background spans environmental science and management, law, public management, communications and climate studies, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to environmental and community-based initiatives.
Dr. Thomas Garner
Research Associate at Ulster University Dr Thomas Garner is a Research Associate at Ulster University, Coleraine working on the CMAP project, specialising in rock coast erosion in western Ireland.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.13
Dr. Tim O’Higgins
Policy Adviser for the Marine Planning and Environment Section of Ireland’s Department of Climate Energy and Environment Dr. Tim O’Higgins is a marine ecologist and policy adviser specializing in marine governance, social-ecological systems, and the mapping of ecosystem services. After earning his BSc in Marine Science from the National University of Ireland, Galway and an MSc in Oceanography with the University of Southampton, he completed his PhD in Environmental Science at Trinity College Dublin. He has served as a senior lecturer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science and as a senior research fellow at University College Cork’s MaREI Centre. He has secured more than €35 million in EU grant capture including through the MPALIFE project and the Horizon Europe Marine SABRES project — and served as the lead editor for the book Ecosystem-Based Management, Ecosystem Services and Aquatic Biodiversity. O’Higgins currently bridges the gap between academic science and government action as a Policy Adviser for the Marine Planning and Environment Section of Ireland’s Department of Climate Energy and Environment, where he is working on the development of a wide variety of marine environmental topics including Marine Protected Areas, Underwater noise, Nonindigenous species under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Victoria Poppleton Marine Invasive Species Officer
Victoria is responsible for the Marine and Coastal Non-indigenous and Invasive Species work programme. She is developing a strategic management plan for Ireland and providing implementation support for key stakeholders. She is also developing a Surveillance and Monitoring programme for marine and Coastal areas and collaborates on the Marine Invasive Citizen Science projects.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.14
DAY 1 Governing Shared Waters: Collaboration, Participation and Environmental Intelligence Across Borders Day 1 will explore the governance, policy and collaborative foundations needed to protect and manage shared waters effectively. Bringing together policymakers, regulators, researchers, practitioners and international experts, the day will consider how different jurisdictions can work together to address environmental challenges that do not stop at political or administrative boundaries. The day will begin by setting the wider context for the symposium, reflecting on the importance of collaboration in managing shared water resources and the opportunities presented by new approaches to environmental governance. The opening keynote and subsequent discussions will consider the international experience of transboundary water management, drawing on examples from across Europe and beyond. These perspectives will provide an opportunity to reflect on how countries and regions can move beyond managing water as a national resource towards approaches based on shared interests, shared benefits and shared responsibility. Session 1 will focus on integrated water governance across borders. Discussions will examine the institutional, legal and policy arrangements that support effective cooperation between neighbouring
jurisdictions. Particular attention will be given to the challenges of aligning priorities, sharing information, coordinating decision-making and developing common approaches to the management of shared catchments and aquatic environments. The session will also consider what can be learned from other transboundary contexts and how successful approaches might inform water governance on the island of Ireland. Session 2 will broaden the discussion to environmental intelligence, participation and trust. Scientific knowledge and environmental data are increasingly important to effective decision-making, but evidence is most valuable when it is trusted, accessible and connected to the experience and knowledge of communities. The session will explore the role of citizen science, community engagement and local knowledge alongside scientific research and technological innovation. Session 3 will turn specifically to the future of water quality in Ireland and Northern Ireland. A panel of senior experts will consider the pressures affecting water quality, the effectiveness of current approaches and the opportunities to strengthen cooperation between organisations and jurisdictions.
DAY 1 THEMES • Shared governance • Cross-border cooperation • Participation and trust • Water quality • Policy and regulation SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.15
DAY 1 09:00 - 09:30
Registration, Breakfast, Tea and Coffee
OPENING | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 09:30–10:15
Opening Welcome and Opening Addresses Sharon McMahon, CEO, Loughs Agency Cllr Grace Uí Niallais, Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council Minister Andrew Muir, DAERA
KEYNOTE ADDRESS | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 10:15–10:45
Keynote Address Ciaran Ó Cuinn, Centre Director, MEDRC
SESSION 1 | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 10:45–13:00
Integrated Water Governance Across Borders Presentations and Panel
Including coffee break
Natália Nunes, EGTC Rio Minho Dr Martin Guillermo-Ramirez, Association of European Border Regions Ele Jan Saaf, Senior Advisor on Water Management Ciaran Ó Cuinn, MEDRC
13:00–14:00
BREAK: LUNCH
SESSION 2 | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 14:00–15:30
Environmental Intelligence, Participation and Trust: Strengthening Water Governance Presentations and Panel Prof. Owen McIntyre, UCC Dr A.M. O’Hagan, MaREI Centre, UCC Dr Sarpong Hammond Antwi, Dundalk Institute of Technology Shirley Clerkin, NPWS Rebecca Kavanagh, Queen’s University Belfast
SESSION 3 | MODERATOR: CAITRIONA MULLAN 15:30–16:45
The Future of Water Quality in Ireland / Northern Ireland Panel Discussion Ian Marshall, QUB Angela Halpenny, NI Water Dr Gareth Greer, NIEA
17:30 - 19:00
Mayor’s Reception and Refreshments, hosted by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council at the Tower Museum. SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.16
DAY 2 From Data and Innovation to Better Decisions for Shared Waters Day 2 will build on the governance and collaboration themes established on Day 1, turning the focus towards the practical application of science, environmental intelligence and research to support better decision-making and more effective action for our shared waters. Session 4 will examine how environmental information is gathered, managed, stored and shared, exploring approaches to environmental data management and how information can be used more effectively. Session 5 will consider how data, modelling and analytical tools can be translated into practical insights that support environmental management and inform policy decisions.
Session 7 will bring these themes together through a panel discussion on building a shared environmental intelligence system, exploring opportunities to connect data, science and policy across organisational and jurisdictional boundaries. Session 8 will see participants break into smaller groups to explore key themes from the Symposium, share perspectives and identify practical opportunities for future collaboration and action. The day will conclude with Session 9, bringing together the key insights and outcomes from both days of the Symposium and considering next steps for continued collaboration.
Session 6 will explore the journey from environmental pressures to policy, examining how research and scientific evidence can help identify policy gaps and inform future approaches to protecting aquatic and marine ecosystems.
DAY 2 THEMES • Data • intelligence • understanding • policy • decisions • action
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.17
DAY 2 09:00-09:30
Registration, Breakfast, Tea and Coffee
09:30–09:35
Opening Welcome Sharon McMahon, CEO, Loughs Agency
SESSION 4 | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 09:35–10:15 Including coffee break
Environmental Intelligence – Information Gathering, Storing & Sharing Presentations Cyrielle Delvenne, VLIZ Victoria Poppleton, National Biodiversity Data Centre Ciaran McGonigle, Loughs Agency
SESSION 5 | MODERATOR: PROF. CATHY MAGUIRE 10:15–11:00
From Models to Management – Making Data Actionable for Policy Panel Discussion Cyrielle Delvenne, VLIZ Victoria Poppleton, National Biodiversity Data Centre Ciaran McGonigle, Loughs Agency
11:00–11:15
BREAK: COFFEE BREAK
SESSION 6 | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 11:15–12:30
Pressures to Policy – Identifying & Researching Policy Gaps Presentations Colin Armstrong and Claire Vincent, DAERA Dr Tim O’Higgins, DCEE Dr Jonathan Houghton, MOSAIC Dr Billy Hunter, ACCLIMATIZE Dr Thomas Garner and Dr Mathieu Lundy, CMAP
SESSION 7 | 12:30 - 13:00
Building a Shared Environmental Intelligence System Panel Discussion Colin Armstrong and Claire Vincent, DAERA Dr Tim O’Higgins, DCEE Dr Jonathan Houghton, MOSAIC Dr Billy Hunter, ACCLIMATIZE Dr Thomas Garner and Dr Mathieu Lundy, CMAP
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.18
DAY 2 13:00–13:15
BREAK
SESSION 8 | MODERATOR: FACILITATORS 13:15-14:00
Breakout Session Kelsie Geddis, Loughs Agency Diego Delvillar, Loughs Agency Colin Armstrong, DAERA
14:00–14:45
BREAK: LUNCH
SESSION 9 | MODERATOR: LOUISE CULLEN 14:45-15:30
Summary and Closing
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME PG.19