b'12Natural water retention measures in agricultural catchments, IrelandBourke MC1, Harrison S2, Quinn P3 and Wilkinson M41Department of Geography, Trinity College Dublin,2University College Cork, Cork, Ireland3Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK,4James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland, UKWe introduce a newly funded large-scale Environmental Protection Agency project (2019-2023): SLOWATERS: a Strategic LOok at natural WAter reTention mEasuReS. The research aims toassess the benefits of Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) for agricultural catchments in Ireland. We will use GIS-based mapping techniques, topographic indices, hydrological modelling, and full-scale field demonstrations to develop a portfolio of potential approaches andmethodologies to reduce flood risk and generate co-benefits including sediment and nutrientattenuation and ecosystem enhancement. Demonstration sites will show how to design, build and instrument NWRM. Scaling up methodologies will use hydro-geomorphic patterns toinvestigate NWRM in other Irish catchments, at a range of spatial scales. The research willunderpin policy by identifying across scale the measures that are most effective at targeting flood flows, providing beneficial ecosystem functions whilst having minimum effect of farm economics. The project outputs will specifically provide recommendations for the management of specific catchment types relevant to the Irish environment by quantifying the magnitude of NWRM required to reduce flood peaks.Keywords: Flood; NBS; NWRM; Agriculture56'