Journal
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
Volume 621, Issue -, Pages 1499-1511Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.078
Keywords
Control measures; Costs; Efficacy; Nutrients; Sediment; Water Framework Directive
Categories
Funding
- Defra project [WQ0223]
- Developing a field tool kit for ecological targeting of agricultural diffuse pollution mitigation measures, and Environment Agency [RM830]
- Identification of basic measures to address agriculture's impact on water (to inform the joint Arm's Length Body development and implementation of the Strategic Framework)
- Avon (Defra project) [WQ0211]
- Wensum (Defra project) [WQ0212]
- Eden (Defra project) DTC [WQ02010]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The need for improved abatement of agricultural diffuse water pollution represents cause for concern throughout the world. A critical aspect in the design of on-farm intervention programmes concerns the potential technical cost-effectiveness of packages of control measures. The European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) calls for Programmes of Measures (PoMs) to protect freshwater environments and these comprise 'basic' (mandatory) and 'supplementary' (incentivised) options. Recent work has used measure review, elicitation of stakeholder attitudes and a process-based modelling framework to identify a new alternative set of 'basic' agricultural sector control measures for nutrient and sediment abatement across England. Following an initial scientific review of 708 measures, 90 were identified for further consideration at an industry workshop and 63 had industry support. Optimisation modelling was undertaken to identify a shortlist of measures using the Demonstration Test Catchments as sentinel agricultural landscapes. Optimisation selected 12 measures relevant to livestock or arable systems. Model simulations of 95% implementation of these 12 candidate 'basic' measures, in addition to business-as-usual, suggested reductions in the national agricultural nitrate load of 2.5%, whilst corresponding reductions in phosphorus and sediment were 11.9% and 5.6%, respectively. The total cost of applying the candidate 'basic' measures across the whole of England was estimated to be 450 pound million per annum, which is equivalent to 52 pound per hectare of agricultural land. This work contributed to a public consultation in 2016. (C) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available