TACKLING DIFFUSE POLLUTION FROM AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

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1 TACKLING DIFFUSE POLLUTION FROM AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY OECD Cooperative Research Programme Open Forum Meeting Paris France 3 rd December 2010 By Ray Earle Dublin City Council Eastern River Basin District

2 Overview Ireland and Agriculture Environmental Legislation and Ireland Ireland and the European Union Water Quality Vs Food Production Policy Considerations going Forward Key Issues from DIPCON2010 Conclusions

3 Agriculture and Ireland Farming historically a major industry in Ireland

4 Images of Rural Ireland

5 Water Legislation and Ireland First Wave Quality Objective Legislation Second Wave Agriculture and Wastewater Treatment Third Wave Fundamental Rethink of Water Policy Bathing Water Directive Freshwater Fish Directive Shellfish Water Directive Drinking Water Directive Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive Nitrates Directive Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive Drinking Water Directive (amended) Water Framework Directive

6 EU Water Strategy Water Framework Directive (improve water quality) Coordination of all other measures drinking water bathing water urban waste water nitrates IPPC & other industry discharges chemicals pesticides biocides landfills sewage sludge

7 Ireland and the European Union The Treaty of Rome provided for a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) CAP is based on 3 principles: A single market Community Preference Common financing CAP financing comes from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). CAP relied on prices above world market prices. Subsidies lead to over production.

8 Ireland and the European Union CAP Reform perspective for sustainable agriculture. A single farm payment for EU farmers, independent from production. Cross compliance - payment ensured if environmental, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards are met. More emphasis on environmental implications of farming practices.

9 Water Quality Vs Food Production Silent Spring Rachel Carson 1962 The book is widely credited with helping launch the environmental movement. The concept of diffuse pollution. Detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment. Concept of self contamination through diffuse agricultural pollution.

10 Water Quality Vs Food Production Agriculture as a cause of water pollution and degradation of the aquatic environment. Human health issues associated with agriculture How to address problems? Identification of appropriate measures & assessment of efficacy (repeated around the world: BMPs for local circumstances). How to get measures in place, change practices? (education, regulation, economics). Quebec and the OECD support part of the breadth & depth of engagement necessary for progress. DIPCON 2011, and DIPCON 2013.

11 Example photos (1). Problems: Livestock by ring feeder, rill formation on arable field, Scotland UK. BJ D Arcy BJ D Arcy

12 Example impacts: blue green algal bloom, Loch Leven, Scotland see D Arcy BJ, May L, Long J, Fozzard IR, Greig S and Brachet A (2006). The Restoration of Loch Leven, Scotland UK. Water Science & Technology 53(10),

13 Water Quality Vs Food Production Acidification from mature forest stands Eutrophication and Sedimentation from harvesting and planting preparations of forestry and agricultural plots Runoff from confined animal feeding operations and grazing lands Crop fertilisation and pesticide applications

14 Water Quality Vs Food Production In some poor countries attempts to increase food consumption are undermined by rapid population growth. Malthus Effect population growing faster than food production. (Thomas Malthus 1798) Good governance via creation of more positive incentives for efficient resource use can mitigate the Malthus Effect United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts a major food crisis in 2011 unless food production is increased substantially. Declining birth rates in Europe and America. High Birth rates in the Sunni Muslim countries.

15 Water Quality Vs Food Production World Wheat Production since 1961 Population Growth Rate

16 Water Framework Directive Eastern River Basin District Approximately 40% of Ireland s population. All or part of 12 Local Authorities 4 Hydrometric Areas Liffey Avoca/Vartry Boyne Nanny Delvin

17 Water Quality Vs Food Production

18 Policy Considerations going Forward The nature by which sustainable agriculture can best be achieved How to minimise green tape as well as red tape. Climate Change and Justice and Enough Food for ALL. Cradle to Cradle solutions. Incentivising agricultural BMPs

19 Policy Considerations Social Farming traditionally family based. Community based. Moral responsibility for food production guarantee food for all in the face of climate change. Agriculture options going forward chemical fertility/pricing of produce/value chain how it is allocated right up to the consumer. Economic Pricing of water, energy and food. Farmers role in protection of land and value in the community. Extent and nature of chemical use, GMO s, etc.

20 Environmental Policy Considerations Environmental Policy pollution control. EQS and ELVs. Natural methods of recycling nutrients. Nutrients rock phosphate limited supplies. Recycling non renewable resources. Smarter greener agriculture. Control on pesticides/chemical. Competition on use of land. Food Vs Bio fuel. Do we need a policy on more organic farming and extensification.

21 IWA diffuse pollution specialist group & agriculture Agriculture always been a priority, major element of the work of the group: Themes in every specialist diffuse pollution conference from Chicago (1993) to Rotorua (2011) & Beijing (2013) No other specialist group features agriculture so strongly (some papers on catchment scale issues in River Basin Management Group, and a few on wetland treatment systems in Macrophytes & Wetlands Specialist Group). Agriculture was the dominant and most popular work shop theme at the Dublin DP-SG conference in 2003.

Addressing rural issues: conference themes, plus single focus workshops, seminars and symposia Major annual / biennial diffuse pollution conferences (DIPCONs), 1 st international agriculture

22 Addressing rural issues: conference themes, plus single focus workshops, seminars and symposia Major annual / biennial diffuse pollution conferences (DIPCONs), 1 st international agriculture conference (Bendoricchio ed., 1999, Water Science & Technol. Vol. 39, no. 3, Integrated Management of Water Quality: The role of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution Sources. Workshops in DIPCONs 2002 and 2003 (Dublin Resolution: see Water 21 summary by IWA president 2005, Laszlo Somlyody. Managing Rural Diffuse Pollution (2006) (Agriculture & Environment VI) SAC/SEPA special conference with IWA diffuse pollution group. DIPCON 14 in Quebec in September 2010 supported by OECD.

23 Dublin Resolution 2003: recommended alignment of economic support to environmental agenda (minimise regulatory effort) EU reform of CAP broke link between payments and production, but failed to really effectively replace with support for environmental measures?

24 Economic drivers, regulation and education: indivisible & NOT alternatives, but lots of scope for varying the balance!

The BMPs idea decades of USA experience Best management practices (BMPs) are methods, measures, or practices selected by an agency to meet its non-point (diffuse) source control needs.

25 The BMPs idea decades of USA experience Best management practices (BMPs) are methods, measures, or practices selected by an agency to meet its non-point (diffuse) source control needs. BMPs include, but are not limited to, structural and non-structural controls, operations and maintenance procedures. BMP can be applied before, during and after pollution producing activities to reduce or eliminate the introduction of pollutants from diffuse sources into receiving waters. (Novotny & Olem 1994)

Leven Catchment scale effectiveness: see D Arcy BJ, May L, Long J, Fozzard IR, Greig S

26 Best Management Practices (BMPs) e.g. grass buffer zone & racehorse exercise strip, L. Leven e.g. willow for energy & hill-slope soil stabilisation, L. Leven Catchment scale effectiveness: see D Arcy BJ, May L, Long J, Fozzard IR, Greig S and Brachet A (2006). The Restoration of Loch Leven, Scotland UK. Water Science & Technology 53(10),

27 BMPs (2) Contour cropping: soil stabilisation on arable & sheep grazing land, South Africa

28 Key Technical Issues at DIPCON 2010 Watershed approach (non-jurisdictional) - EU subcatchment-based POMs - US watershed-based permitting Emerging management tools - GIS - Combined PS and DP water quality modelling - Decision support systems (e.g., pollutant fate and transfer accounting)

29 Key Economic Issues at DIPCON 2010 Marginal costs of diffuse pollution measures are generally lower than those of treatment plant upgrades => revealed via cost-effectiveness analysis at watershed (catchment) scale Market-based incentives hold great potential - conservation easements (benefit estimations) - water quality trading Agricultural price controls, subsidies & government BMP financing => inefficiency

30 Key Legal/Cultural Issues at DIPCON 2010 Developed Market Economies - Diffuse pollution background loading with advanced science/engineering/economics - Central (i.e., government) allocations of pollution reduction responsibilities vs. market-based allocations (or reallocatons via e.g., water quality trading) Developing and/or Centrally Planned Economies - Efficiency-seeking market principles applied to diffuse pollution management not easily applied in these societies due to technical/legal constraints - DIPCON delegates from such countries do however transfer knowledge of such developments in USA, Europe, Australia, etc. back to their respective communities

31 Conclusions Rapid advancement in forestry/agricultural diffuse pollution science/accounting due to information technology revolution Multitude of new opportunities to exploit these new developments to manage diffuse pollution and the broader water pollution problem more efficiently, particularly in OECD countries Multidisciplinary, multi-national approach of the DIPCON series: 1) Mutually broadens technical and social science horizons of all delegates 2) Assists diffuse pollution management leaders in OECD countries in their efforts to influence the direction of financial aid and technical assistance to developing countries towards more efficient uses, and do so in more culturally sensitive, equitable and informed ways

SEPA Diffuse Pollution Priority Catchment Work. Bruce McCleary Catchment Coordinator Land Unit, SEPA

SEPA Diffuse Pollution Priority Catchment Work Bruce McCleary Catchment Coordinator Land Unit, SEPA Diffuse pollution in Scotland Scotland s water quality is generally good! Rural Diffuse pollution now