As NI Environment Week draws to a close, NI Water is ending the week on a high by highlighting the important role its Sustainable Catchment Area Management Programme, known as SCaMP NI, plays in supporting this year’s theme of Species Recovery.

Led by NI Water’s catchment management specialists, SCaMP focuses on protecting and enhancing the natural environment in drinking water catchments, using nature-based solutions to improve raw water quality before it reaches treatment works. The approach also helps restore priority habitats, support wildlife, reduce erosion, improve landscape resilience and contribute to climate action.

Across Northern Ireland, many of the landscapes that provide our drinking water are also home to important habitats and species. Through SCaMP, NI Water works with partners, landowners, farmers and environmental organisations to improve land management in these catchments, helping nature recover while protecting the quality and reliability of water supplies.

Projects delivered through SCaMP include peatland restoration, drain blocking, re-wetting damaged bogs, encouraging the recolonisation of sphagnum moss and supporting healthier upland habitats. These measures can slow water flow, reduce colour and sediment entering reservoirs, store carbon and provide improved conditions for priority species including birds, plants and other wildlife.

An NI Water spokesperson said: “This year’s NI Environment Week theme of Species Recovery is a timely reminder that healthy catchments are about much more than water alone. By restoring peatlands, improving habitats and working with those who manage land in our drinking water catchments, we can help nature recover while also protecting the raw water that eventually becomes the clean, safe drinking water customers rely on every day.

“Nature-based solutions can deliver multiple benefits at once. They help improve water quality at source, reduce pressure on treatment processes, create better conditions for wildlife and make our landscapes more resilient to climate change. SCaMP is a practical example of how working with nature can deliver long-term benefits for people, biodiversity and the wider environment.”

NI Water’s catchment management team also supports engagement and education, including site visits, collaboration with farming groups and partnership work aimed at reducing pollution risks from nutrients, soil and pesticides. This collaborative approach helps protect rivers, reservoirs and habitats that are vital for both communities and wildlife.

An NI Water spokesperson added: “Species recovery depends on sustained action across entire landscapes. No single organisation can deliver this alone, which is why partnership working is central to SCaMP. By listening to land managers, working with environmental partners and investing in catchment-based solutions, we can help create healthier habitats and better outcomes for future generations.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• SCaMP NI stands for Sustainable Catchment Area Management Programme Northern Ireland.
• SCaMP uses catchment-based and nature-based solutions to protect and enhance raw water quality before it reaches treatment works.
• Examples of SCaMP activity include peatland restoration, drain blocking, re-wetting damaged bogs, habitat improvement and partnership working with landowners, farmers and environmental organisations.
• NI Environment Week 2026 takes place from 28th September to 4th October and is focused on the theme of Species Recovery.

Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com