Research and Environmental Management at the Catchment scale

Transcription

1 Research and Environmental Management at the Catchment scale the Demonstration Test Catchments Programme as an example Bob Harris Secretariat A joint programme of Defra, WAG and the Environment Agency

2 What is the Demonstration Test Catchments project? Challenging water quality targets are set in EU and domestic legislation 40% of water bodies are at risk of not meeting good ecological status due to agriculturally derived nutrients and sediment There is low confidence in the effectiveness of many of the measures available to mitigate agricultural diffuse pollution. A five year collaborative project between Defra, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government to understand these interactions and trade offs, develop and test farming systems that reduce agriculture s footprint on the water environment, and to inform the development of robust policies. To do this, requires collaborative and multi disciplinary approaches. The DTC brings together over 40 organisations from across the country, each contributing a unique range of specialist knowledge. The project is focused in three river catchments: Eden, Wensum and Hampshire Avon, representing a range of England and Wales s landscapes and farm types.

3 The DTC Platform Eden (Cumbria) Wensum (Norfolk) Livestock and mixed farming Consortium includes: Lancaster University, Newcastle University, Durham University, University of Cumbria, Eden Rivers Trust, CEH and others... Arable farming Consortium includes: University of East Anglia, Scott Wilson, Cranfield University, British Geological Survey, Entec, NIAB and others... Focusing effort on 3 catchments but linking closely to other catchment work Avon (Hampshire) Mixed lowland farming Consortium includes: ADAS, University of Reading, University of Bristol, QMUL, ENTEC and others...

4 Who?DTC working within a family of other activities International links and learning EA & NE activities Catchment Sensitive Farming; Ecosystem Services Pilot etc Local schemes/other projects Rivers Trusts & LA (Gaywood River Valley; Somerset Water Management Partnership etc) Water company schemes and investigations; Voluntary Initiative NERC & RCUK Programmes VO Shared vision of Integrated Catchment Management DTC Defra Programmes GHG Platform Scottish and Irish Catchment projects

5 But DTC can only deliver so much what can it deliver? what can it set in train? 1 year Farmer attitudes Uptake of measures 5 years Reductions at source (recording practices and identifying risks) Reduced mobilisation (soil surface monitoring) Reductions of pollution pathways (monitoring at field edge/ micro catchment outlet) Economic and agronomic performance 10+ years Changes at sub catchment outlets Ecological changes

6 What is a research platform? The project is establishing a national scale facility to host catchmentscale research on the environmental impacts of farming consisting of A national network of monitored field sites A co ordinated suite of research activities: A community of researchers, policy makers and delivery partners Data sharing infrastructure to provide the framework for collaborative analysis It will provide a long term focal point for multi disciplinary research encouraging scientists to share equipment and data across teams. It will provide a platform to host future Defra R&D projects whilst drawing in resources from other funders to fill knowledge gaps, develop improved agricultural practices and inform robust policies.

7 DTC as a research platform Defra Co ordinated research activities Industry Research Councils Community of practice: researchers, policy, agencies, interest groups, farmers... Co ordinated modelling Data platform Physical research infrastructure

8 Longevity of platform Consortia Future Projects in DTCs

9 New monitoring approaches DTC Consortia are building on monitoring systems developed by the Environment Agency and others to intensively instrument each experimental mini catchment. Networks of remotely operated and interrogated instruments will collect continuous water quality data allowing researchers to fully understand the fluxes in pollutant levels over short periods in relation to rainfall and farming activities. Data can be observed and analysed in real time using this system. A nested monitoring approach that builds on existing Environment Agency sites will ensure that we understand the movement of pollutants across catchments from the smallest to largest scales. Remotely operated monitoring stations developed by the Environment Agency and Meteor Communications (photos courtesy of M. Loewenthal, EA)

10 Testing measures to protect water Experiments to test the cost effectiveness of multiple on farm measures to tackle agriculturally derived diffuse pollution are being established in monitored minicatchments (each circa 10km 2 ) within each Demonstration Test Catchment. These are broadly representative of regional land use and pollution pressures. The project will investigate measures in terms of: Cost effectiveness for controlling pollutant levels in rivers and groundwater (e.g. nitrates, phosphorus, sediment, pathogens) Impacts on ecology Cost and practicality to farmers Impacts on agricultural productivity Interactions with other measures Lifespan Maintenance requirements Targeting requirements.

11 Making data available The DTC will collate new and existing environmental and socio economic data and make it available to the wider research community through a web based data archive. Data will be accessed via custom designed portals developed in consultation with end users and integrated with the NERC Virtual Observatory. Viewing real time data (photos courtesy of M. Loewenthal, Environment Agency and Meteor Communications )

12 Sharing Knowledge Partnerships are being developed between researchers, policy teams, delivery partners, water industry, farming industry, international groups and environmental NGOs to translate scientific knowledge into a shared understanding of the changes in practice needed to protect the environment whilst maintaining a productive and profitable farming sector. By building communities of researchers working in common physical locations and by facilitating their interaction with farmers and policy makers, the DTC platform will develop a shared vision for catchment management based on an improved understanding of physical and social factors and through trialling collaborative governance.

13 Catchment Implications DTC Parallel Work Streams II Looking at measures at relatively small scales Developing understanding of how the land and water interact in the catchment iteratively, through monitoring, modelling and site investiagtion 5 years Matching up our understanding of the impact of measures with our understanding of the catchment system modelling Evidence on measure effectiveness Iterative understanding Measures work Characterisation work

14 Modelling A more co ordinated approach to the development and calibration of modelling tools to support policy making and operational activities related to diffuse pollution from agriculture is being adopted. This aims to develop systems that predict interactions between the many environmental, social and economic pressures that need to be taken into account when considering the farmed environment. New approaches to managing models?

15 Further Information: DTC is a Living With Environmental Change initiative test catchments Project Fundedby and co ordinatedwith: Defra Farming and Food Science Defra Water Quality Defra Natural Environment Science Defra Chief Scientist s Strategic Evidence Fund Environment Agency NERC Virtual Observatory

16 Defra Structural Reform Plan 1. Support and developbritish farming and encourage sustainable food production Enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of the whole food chain, including farms and the fish industry, to ensure a secure, environmentally sustainable and healthy supply of food 2. Help to enhance the environment & biodiversity to improve quality of life Enhancing and protecting the natural environment by reducing pollution and preventing habitat loss and degradation 3. Support a strong and sustainable green economy, resilient to climate change Encouraging businesses, people and communities to manage and use natural resources in a sustainable manner and to reduce waste; and work to ensure that the UK economy is resilient to climate change

17 Grasping the Opportunity windows of opportunity Big Society ; Natural Environment and Water White Papers; 10 pilot catchments to trial ICM approaches Developing ecosystems approach ; UK water research&innovation research strategy being developed (LWEC) water company catchment management schemes& investigations;

18 Thank you for listening