Land cover and land use
We continue to monitor changes in land cover and to assess the effects of these changes on the environment through our participation in the Corine Land Cover project. Change in land cover and land use is the most noticeable and far-reaching of all environmental changes. Unsustainable land use change can impact human health, have a harmful effect on water, air, soil and biodiversity and conflict with land use planning.
Corine stands for "Coordination of Information on the Environment". This EU initiative was set up in 1985. A 1990 Corine database of land cover for Ireland was updated in 2000. According to Corine 2000 findings, Ireland's land cover can be classed as follows:
- Agricultural areas - 66.8%
- Wetlands -17.1%
- Forest and semi-natural areas - 11.9%
- Water - 2.3%
- Artificial surfaces - 1.9%.
During the ten years from 1990 to 2000, artificial surfaces increased in area from 1.5% cent to 1.9% of total land cover, caused by urban sprawl and developments in infrastructure and sports facilities.
Despite this increase, Ireland's land use remains predominantly agricultural. Besides its traditional agricultural value, the countryside is increasingly important for forestry, recreation and tourism. Acting as a foil to escalating urbanisation pressures, it serves as a "virtual lung" to the nation.