In December 2014 WRT held a Catchment Based Approach and Catchment Restoration Fund Conference in Exeter. The Environment Agency's David Baxter presented an overview of the River Basin Management Planning Process and the Catchment Based Approach

1. The catchment based
approach – where next?
David Baxter
Environment Agency
2 December 2014

2. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations
/update-to-the-draft-river-basin-management-
plans

3. Original goals
Build capacity to deliver more for the water
environment
Look for integrated solutions
Reconnect to grass roots catchment
knowledge
Innovative solutions
3

4. Additional £92m invested to improve 15,000km of
rivers (at locations on map).
Massive programme of enhanced engagement and
partnership – the catchment based approach
A major data sharing initiative to open up tens of
thousands of records of monitoring, investigation,
objective setting and action planning results held
by the Environment Agency
Probably the most comprehensive economic
appraisal of water quality objective setting ever
done
16,000 investigations
Progress since 2010

5. Challenges
EA funding from non-flood grant could be
<50% of what it was in 2010/11
Catchment Restoration Fund not confirmed
beyond election
Government committed to growth and
regulatory reform
Cycle 2 sets the ambition, but affordability is
another matter….
5

6. Planning for cycle 2
6
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Baseline Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 Scenario 5
Bad Poor Moderate Good High
Baseline
Scenario
1
Scenario
2
Scenario
3
Scenario
4
Scenario
5
% Water body 30 19 33 81 75 37
% Elements 80
Not
available
Not
available
97 95
Not
available

7. Opportunities
£12 billion growth fund with LEPs
£18 billion investment in roads
£3 billion investment in flood risk
Environment as a driver of growth
Companies keen to use ethical, community
involvement to benefit their bottom line
7

8. 8

9. 9

10. Werrington Brook
Business case development
640
177
623355
171
710
Benefit Summary £k
Good Ecological Potential
Reduced River Management
Costs
Recreational Revenue
Crime Reduction
Health Improvements
202
155
973
Projected Funding £k
Environment Agency
Peterborough City Council
Other

11. 11

12. 12

13. 13

14. 14

15. WFD results – inspiring action?
15
26 25 26 25 2526 25 26 25 24
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Percentages of water bodies at good status in England
Good ecological status/potential
Good overall status
Water bodies
assessed for: 2009 2013 2014
Fish 2145 2460 2516
Inverts 2650 2790 3204
Macrophytes 255 1129 2099
Diatoms 551 1254 1298
Better monitoring – detect more
problems
2014 expected to see a reduction
in the number of water bodies at
good status

16. Reasons for failure
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17. 17Source: Chris Rose et al, Research into motivating…to change
behaviours that affect climate emissions
Remember your audience

18. 18

19. There is a future!
Use the right language
Connect your catchment’s priorities to growth
Build a collaborative funding platform
Government funding is under huge pressure
Make it achievable
But keeping dreaming the dream
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