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Northern Ireland Environment Agency facts for kids

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Northern Ireland Environment Agency (logo)
The official logo of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (or NIEA) is a special group that helps protect nature in Northern Ireland. It works for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Their main job is to look after the environment and natural places. This means keeping our land, water, and wildlife safe and healthy.

The NIEA used to be called the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) before 2008. It was part of a different government department back then. In 2016, the NIEA joined DAERA. At the same time, its job of looking after old buildings and historical sites moved to another department.

The NIEA protects many important natural areas in Northern Ireland. These include eight Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They also look after 47 National Nature Reserves. There are also 43 Special Areas of Conservation and 10 special protection areas. These special places help protect different plants, animals, and their homes. As of 2020, about 630 people work for the NIEA.

Protecting Northern Ireland's Nature

The NIEA works hard to keep Northern Ireland's environment safe. They make sure that our rivers, lakes, and air stay clean. They also protect important habitats for wildlife. This helps many different species of plants and animals to thrive.

What are Protected Areas?

Protected areas are special places that are set aside to keep nature safe.

  • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are large areas of beautiful countryside. They are protected because of their amazing landscapes.
  • National Nature Reserves are places where rare plants and animals live. They are managed to help these species survive.
  • Special Areas of Conservation protect specific habitats and species that are important across Europe.
  • Special Protection Areas are set up to protect wild birds and their habitats.

Similar Groups in the UK

Other parts of the United Kingdom have similar groups that protect their environments:

  • In England, there is the Environment Agency and Natural England.
  • In Scotland, you can find NatureScot and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
  • In Wales, the group is called Natural Resources Wales.

See also

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