Catchment partnerships and the tools to understand and target water quality

By Laurence Couldrick - Westcountry Rivers Trust

Pressures on the catchment

Agricultural pressures

Areas impacted

Catchments provide us with….

– food and materials

– energy / fuel

– drinking water

They regulate the….

– climate gases

– flood and drought

They give us areas for….

– culture

– recreation

– habitat for wildlife

Ecosystem Services

Agricultural Ecosystem ‘Natural’ Ecosystem

Provisioning services Regulating services

Cultural services

Crops

Meat

Timber

Biodiversity

Recreation

Pest control

Water regulation Pollination

What are we currently getting?

Management plans that effect the Tamar

REGULATION “Polluter pays”

INCENTIVES “Provider is paid”

WIN-WIN “Provider saves”

Tools used to deliver spatial planning

Basic behaviour change

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Cost Benefit

Paid Ecosystem Services – IN THEORY

- Estimated cost/benefit ratio - Sold to OFWAT

- 65p from bill payers = £9m - Assess business savings

Buyer - SWW Ethical broker - WRT

- Target work - Ensure interventions do not

degrade other services - Minimise admin costs

- Assess outcomes - BUILD TRUST

Seller - Farmer

- Instigate works - Change practices

Paid Ecosystem Services – IN PRACTICE

Target works for water quality

Modelling and technology to:

1. Target interventions

2. Estimate benefits

3. Monitor outcomes

Interventions - £2.2m grant against £4.4m of works

P P

N N

100% up-take

Assess outcomes

Assess business savings/benefits

Regulator

Fecal Organisms Nutrients Flooding Carbon Sediment

Knowledge provider

Seller

Buyers

What tools do we need to encourage greater investment?

Intermediary

Ecosystem Sustainability Meter