b'27Specific Management and Robust Targeting of Riparian Buffer ZonesSMARTER_BufferZ hUallachin D1, Baggaley N2, Mellander P-E1,3, Wilkinson M2, Lilly A2, Baggio Compagnucci, A2, Parker S1 and Stutter M21Crops, Environment and Land Use Programme, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle EnvironmentResearch Centre, Wexford, Co. Wexford, Ireland2The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK3Agricultural Catchments Programme, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle Environment ResearchCentre, Wexford, Co. Wexford, IrelandThe pollution of surface and ground waters represents one of the primary environmental problems facing agri-ecosystems. There is an urgent need to halt declining water quality and habitat condition in farmed landscapes and the riparian interface between land activities and the water environment is a key location for management. Riparian buffer zones are patches of landadjacent to rivers, streams and drains, removed from intensive production. These areas can provide a variety of environmental and ecological services, including a habitat for biodiversity, enhancing connectivity, alleviating flood threat, greenhouse gas exchanges and aesthetic and recreational services. Despite their widespread implementation, huge uncertainties remain in relation to the optimal design, management and cost-effectiveness of riparian buffer zones as a measure to support the delivery of ecosystem services and to enhance the quality of water-courses, particularly at larger catchment scales. The SMARTER_BufferZ project aims to ensure optimal targeting and management of riparian buffers for the effective management of Irish rivers. The project will:Evaluate the effectiveness of targeted riparian management measures to maintain and enhance water quality in Irish rivers. Identify factors and develop tools for risks associated with insufficient and inefficiently sited or designed buffers that do not optimise benefits, particularly for water quality andecological condition. Make recommendations for actions from basic strategies widely implemented, to morespecific requirements according to site circumstances, both physical and habitat aspects,at the correct spatial extent (from site-reach-whole catchment). It is anticipated that information gleaned from this study will facilitate policy-makers to target the most cost-effective riparian management measures to support the delivery of multipleecosystem services and in particular help surface waters achieve Water Framework Directive targets. SMARTER_BufferZ will contribute to environmental policy and to improved management of agricultural and surface water landscapes in Ireland. 71'