Dublin, Dublin (FUA), Ireland
City population: 1894440
Duration: 2020 – 2025
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 15000000 m2
Type of area: Protected Area, Sea coast (e.g. dunes, beach)
Last updated: December 2024

North Bull Island is a national nature reserve located in Dublin Bay on the north side of Dublin. Supporting both local and migratory wildlife, the area holds several nature conservation designations. It is designated as a special amenity area for its aesthetic and recreational value and forms an integral part of the Dublin Bay Biosphere. The Island, with its 5 km beach located within the capital city and close to the city center, serves as a unique and important public amenity. (1) The Island is estimated to attract up to 1.4 million visitors annually, including walkers, swimmers, beachgoers, birdwatchers, nature enthusiasts, kite-surfers, and various other interest groups from the local area. Additionally, it is a popular destination for schools, universities, and visitors from Ireland and abroad who come to experience accessible examples of ecological succession across nationally and internationally significant habitats, and to learn about the intricate stories that make North Bull Island Nature Reserve central to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and part of a global network of Biosphere Reserves. (1) The Island and Nature Reserve are managed by the Parks, Biodiversity, and Landscape Services of Dublin City Council in collaboration with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Dublin City Council has prepared an Action Plan for North Bull Island for 2020-2025 to implement the objectives of the North Bull Island Management Plan 2020. The North Bull Island Oversight Forum, which represents a range of stakeholders, monitors the action plan’s implementation (2). The goal is to conserve the island's environmental qualities and scientific significance while balancing its recreational and amenity value for the benefit of the local community and visitors (8).

North Bull Island Natural Reserve
North Bull Island Natural Reserve
Ref. 3

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Coastlines
  • Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
  • Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
  • Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
  • Marine and coastal research and/or education
  • Environmental quality
  • Waste management
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Effective management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social justice and equity
  • Environmental and climate justice

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Climate-Related Hazards
  • Coastal flooding
  • Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding)
  • Environmental Degradation
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Rapid urbanization
  • Resource Scarcity and Competition
  • Human-wildlife conflicts

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community

Focus

Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Improving coastal resilience, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Restoration of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass), Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems), Protection of natural ecosystems, Protecton and enhancement of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass), Habitat conservation, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood green and blue infrastrcuture protection or enhancement strategies/plans, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Clearing out invasive alien species and allow natural regeneration maintaining the functionality the ecosystem, Habitat mapping, restoration and monitoring-focused management, Species-specific monitoring and conservation programs

Project objectives

To continue an evidence-based approach to managing the Nature Reserve by supporting research and monitoring of species and habitats (including clearance of invasive species). To enhance educational programming and increase public awareness about management challenges affecting the Nature Reserve and Dublin Bay through the Interpretive Centre on North Bull Island. To support ongoing hydrology studies to inform the management of the Island’s dune slack habitats. To conduct mapping of the saltmarsh extent every five years. To implement a five-year strategy for controlling sea buckthorn using established best practice methodologies. To conduct a survey of Common Cordgrass to inform a future management strategy. To facilitate access for everyone regardless of their abilities through the implementation of universal design principles including people with disabilities, older people and people with reduced mobility To protect important bird roosting and feeding areas on the salt marsh by restricting public access west of the golf courses year-round To address climate change issues such as saltmarsh accretion (carbon sequestration) and erosion To address waste management (1)

Implementation activities

The project implements several key activities to achieve its objectives and address existing challenges on North Bull Island, incorporating insights from studies on the impact of recreational activities. These studies identified that the most critical issue in wildlife disturbance is the control of dogs, particularly when off-leash and in sensitive habitats (5). The Bull Island Action Group, a volunteer organization, conducts monthly clean-ups and promotes the elimination of single-use plastics, significantly contributing to the island's maintenance. Dublin City Council supports these efforts through its affiliation with the 'Leave No Trace' program and a volunteer conservation program, which includes 24 volunteers who dedicate two weekend days each month to activities such as organizing family walks, conducting flora and fauna studies, and leading workshops on topics like otters, local geography, birds, bees, and seaweed identification. In 2019, these volunteers contributed 976 hours of service, and their workshops attracted 400 attendees. Additionally, the Bull Island Action Group organizes monthly litter collections to maintain the island’s cleanliness (1).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides

Climate change mitigation:

  • Protect and restore coastal wetlands, mangroves and salt marshes, aiming at sequestering carbon dioxide and storing it in their soils
  • Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
  • Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Control and clean invasive alien species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
  • Raise public awareness
  • Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Researchers/University
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Taskforce groups
  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Co-management/Joint management

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The designation is managed by a Partnership led by Dublin City Council (DCC), and including Fingal County Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Dublin Port Company, National Parks and Wildlife Services, and Failte Ireland. Also, DCC has undertaken several research studies to provide an evidence base for a new management approach, which included collaboration with Birdwatch Ireland, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, the Herpetological Society of Ireland and private actor - EcoEireann (1). There is a long history of community engagement on the island, with the local community spearheading many of the island’s current designations. The community continues to be involved in the island’s conservation and management. Additionally, the proximity of the island to schools and universities makes it an important outdoor classroom and study site, further supporting research and education efforts (7).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes ( ‘Leave No Trace’ programme (1))
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Action Plan 2020-2025, Dublin Bay Biosphere Biodiversity Conservation and Research Strategy, DCC Biodiversity Action Plan (1))

Type of enablers

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
  • Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Expected improved waste management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Expected reduced biodiversity loss

Economic impacts

  • Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
  • Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
  • More sustainable tourism
  • Expected more sustainable tourism

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Expected improved access to urban green space
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Expected protection of natural heritage
  • Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
  • Expected increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Expected increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Expected increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services Dublin City Council (2020). North Bull Island Nature Reserve Action Plan 2020-2025 for the Implementation of Management Objectives . Dublin: Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services Dublin City Council , Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Dublin City Council (n.d.). North Bull Island. Dublin City Council, Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Dublin Bay Biosphere (n.d.). Dublin Bay Biosphere . Dublin Bay Biosphere, Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Lynch, S. (2023). New plan aims to protect biodiversity on Bull Island. RTÉ, Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
5.
LoveClontarf (2020). CRA: North Bull Island Action Plan | Dogs on Bull Island. LoveClontarf, Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Corrigan, D. (2020). Dublin City Council Propose a New Action Plan for North Bull Island. Dublin Inquirer, Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Harris, M., Bull, L (2021). Draft Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan. Dublin City Council, Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Parks & Landscape Services Dublin City Council (2020). Management of North Bull Island Nature Reserve . Parks & Landscape Services Dublin City Council , Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Department of Public Health Dublin and North East (2024). Regional Population Profile Health Region: Dublin and North East. Department of Public Health Dublin and North East, Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
North Bull Island Natural Reserve
North Bull Island Natural Reserve
Ref. 1
North Bull Island
North Bull Island
https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/2023-03/North%20Bull%20Island%20Nature%20Reserve%202020-2025%20AP%20FINAL.pdf
North Bull Island
North Bull Island
https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/2023-03/North%20Bull%20Island%20Nature%20Reserve%202020-2025%20AP%20FINAL.pdf
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.