Channel Payment for Ecosystem Services (Q4296106)
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Project Q4296106 in France, United Kingdom
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Channel Payment for Ecosystem Services |
Project Q4296106 in France, United Kingdom |
Statements
2,752,656.41 Euro
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3,989,357.11 Euro
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69.0 percent
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6 July 2017
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31 July 2022
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University of Chichester
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51°27'6.37"N, 2°36'11.92"W
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48°50'59.24"N, 2°21'2.70"E
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48°6'26.75"N, 1°47'31.63"W
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50°49'26.69"N, 0°25'34.97"W
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50°50'42.11"N, 0°46'22.40"W
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48°7'37.13"N, 1°42'36.11"W
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47°56'3.34"N, 2°24'2.59"W
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50°32'49.16"N, 4°18'53.32"W
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50°51'9.97"N, 0°59'24.11"W
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48°6'55.73"N, 1°40'23.41"W
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50°59'21.23"N, 0°44'17.20"W
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60-70% of waters entering the Channel are not classified as of Good Ecological Status (sedimentation, low oxygen levels, excess nutrients). 30-50% of groundwater bodies in the project area (UK & France) fail the WFD Good Chemical Status due to nitrates. The principle cause is intensive farming. Water companies manage rising nutrient levels at drinking water sources by blending high and low nitrate water sources. Action is needed to prevent future failure and protect blending sources. Eutrophication of inland, transitional and coupled coastal waters with related socio/economic impact is common. National strategies, based on WFD, have had some impact but new initiatives are needed. Research by PW confirmed that land use changes and catchment management are the most cost effective way of improving ecosystems. PES schemes create markets in which land managers are paid by ecosystem beneficiaries e.g. water companies to change practices. Previous proof-of-concepts established the principles of PES (WATER, Vitell, Upstream Thinking) as a viable tool for improving water quality but did not test catchment scale, commercial sustainability in different geographies. Challenges identified include engaging stakeholders and creating equitable contracts. The aim of CPES is to improve water quality through the implementation of commercially sustainable catchment wide PES schemes. A pilot study will establish schemes in 6 different catchments, including lake-reservoir with direct links to the coast (Brittany), groundwater and river (Normandy), groundwater (Hampshire, West Sussex), river (West Sussex), estuarine (Cornwall, Devon). Partners will work to reduce the costs and risks of PES, building on previous studies. They will develop a PES Framework and a Resources Toolbox comprising; business cases, financial instruments, commercial agreements, interventions and cluster models. These will be tailored for different catchment landscapes and differing legal, cultural and political frameworks across the 2 countries. A change management programme will be designed with brokers to facilitate the involvement of buyers (e.g. water companies) and sellers (e.g. farmers). 90 farms and land managers and 18 buyers will be targeted. The economic and environmental effectiveness of the schemes will be evaluated and refined during the study. The partners have complementary cross Channel knowledge of the different stages of the ecosystem lifecycle and PES implementations, i.e. water companies (SW, PW, ADL, EDP), representing farming communities (SDNPA, EA), water catchment activity (SMGBO, WRT, SERPN), ecology, nutrient cycling and water quality analysis (CNRS, INRA, UR1), change management, economic modelling and communication (UoC, SHC, INRA), policy development (WRT, EA, SHC, UoC). The partner water companies will continue operations after the project ends, extending to other areas. CPES will engage with other stakeholders to generate a policy for wider adoption of PES. (English)
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