Diffuse Pollution Management

Project Team: JHI and University of Stirling

Aims:

Deliberation with stakeholders and end-users on effectiveness of measures to mitigate diffuse pollution on the priority catchments, using quantitative and qualitative data from these and the diffuse pollution monitored catchments (DPMCs).

  • Co-construction of monitoring strategies on diffuse pollution monitored catchments and priority catchments with stakeholders
  • Prioritisation of measures which deliver water quality improvements for new and existing Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and other instruments
  • Identification of possible approaches to delivery of these measures on the ground so that future legislative instruments will be more equitable, efficient, integrated, and targeted.

Background and policy/stakeholder relevance:

The Scottish Government (SG) has legislated through the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) 2008 to mitigate diffuse pollution (e.g. establishing a set of General Binding Rules), and requirements for Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) for single farm payments; it has also promoted voluntary codes of good farming practice such as Prevention of Pollution from Agricultural Activity (PEPFAA), the Four point plan, and the Voluntary Initiative; it also provides financial support through the SRDP and Land Management Options for measures that enhance biodiversity, and some measures that help to control diffuse pollution. There is a need expressed by the SG policy unit, for ongoing review and advice with respect to these measures, and the development of new measures and policy instruments to deliver them. Delivery of improvements in diffuse pollution management and water quality (WQ) requires:

  1. Collation and presentation of evidence of uptake and effectiveness to policy makers and end users in a catchment context,
  2. Prioritisation of WQ measures of known effectiveness according to costs and acceptability to end users, and
  3. Identification and development of appropriate voluntary, economic and regulatory instruments to achieve delivery of improvements.

Outputs:

  • Awareness raising visit arranged for stakeholders to Lunan DPMC (and elsewhere as appropriate).
  • Contribution to linking DPMCs and English Demonstration Test Catchments
  • A strategy paper re. monitoring effectiveness of mitigation with SEPA’s Diffuse Pollution Management Advisory Group (DPMAG)
  • A workshop, report and policy briefing on assessment of diffuse pollution mitigation effectiveness for DPMCs and priority catchments, and identification of priority measures for the future
  • Information, feedback and evaluation through focus group and science update meeting on Lunan DPMC and elsewhere as appropriate.

HEI partners will contribute in the following ways:

  • Contributing expertise, data and knowledge transfer on, for example, monitored constructed farm wetlands and other wetland technologies for diffuse pollution control. This may include visits or information on demonstration sites.
  • Contribution of expertise (that adds value to existing JHI expertise) to the running of a stakeholder workshop on strategies to assess diffuse pollution management effectiveness , and to focus groups and science update meetings in the DPMC catchments.
  • Expertise on monitoring and evaluating the outcomes from this activity.

Contact:

Andy Vinten (JHI)