The 2015 Catchment Based Approach Conference was held on June 8th at Fishmonger's Hall in London. The focus of the day was the sharing of best practice between partnerships. Nick Paling from the Westcountry Rivers Trust gave a presentation entitled, 'Ecosystem Service benefits in the Urban Environment: Developing a common framework for delivery & communication' as part of the 'Delivery in the Urban Environment' session.

1. Ecosystem Service benefits
in the Urban Environment
Developing a common framework for delivery
& communication

2. A catchment provides us with many things….

3. A catchment provides us with many things….
But – the provision of some is reduced and needs work to improve..?
Evidence &
Knowledge

4. Catchment planning is also about talking to people with
different needs from the environment…
Our aim should be to understand these needs, build consensus
and then do something intelligent that benefits as many people
as possible…
?
?
?Evidence &
Knowledge
Communication
skills
+

5. Ecosystem
Evidence &
Knowledge
Communication
skills
+

6. Urban ESS Project Outputs
• A framework for assessing opportunities to enhance or create new
ecosystem services in urban areas (ESS opportunity/need mapping)
• A toolbox of interventions to enhance/increase ecosystem services
provision in urban areas (toolbox definition)
• A cost-benefit tool to assess the benefits & impacts of those
interventions (AST plus look-up values)
• A series of case studies piloting the mapping & cost-benefit tools,
plus lessons learnt report

7. Practitioner/researcher engagement
A variety of approaches will be adopted to engage with and review the work
of the urban catchment management ‘community of practice’.

8. A new ‘spatially
partitioned’
concept…
Ecosystem services
provision needs to
be budgeted
between rural and
urban landscapes
before measures can
be targeted and
cost-benefits
assessed.

9. Healthy habitats
for wildlife
Ecosystem Services
Recreational &
cultural use
Provision of
clean water
Regulation of
water quantity
Benefits
Biodiversity
Productivity
Low cost
Ecological health
Aesthetic quality
Safety & Health
Flood prevention
High base flows
Ecosystem
WATER
LAND
BIOTA
‘Wellbeing’
+ benefits..?
‘Wellbeing’
++ benefits..?
Greenspace for
wildlife & people
Ecosystem Services
Recreational &
cultural use
Regulation of air
quality+temp
Regulation of
water quantity
Benefits
Biodiversity
Health + wellbeing
Health
Ecological health
Aesthetic quality
Safety & Health
Flood prevention
High base flows
Ecosystem
WATER
LAND
BIOTA
RURAL LANDSCAPE
URBAN LANDSCAPE

10. Ecosystem
WATER
LAND
BIOTA
Risks/threats
Pressure 1
Pressure 2
Pressure 3
Pressure 4
PRACTICE
INNATE PHYSICAL
CHARACTER
 Biodiversity
 Productivity
 Treatment cost
 Eco. health
 Aesthetics
 Safety & Health
 Flood risk
 Base flow
Impacts
Healthy habitats
for wildlife
Ecosystem Services
Recreational &
cultural use
Provision of
clean water
Regulation of
water quantity
RURAL LANDSCAPE
URBAN LANDSCAPE
 ‘Wellbeing’
- benefit..?
- benefit..?
 ‘Wellbeing’
Where do these occur…and
what is their impact
How can we reduce
these risks…?
Where can we
get the most
benefits..?

11. Ecosystem
WATER
LAND
BIOTA
RURAL LANDSCAPE
Risks/threats
Pressure 1
Pressure 2
Pressure 3
Pressure 4
PRACTICE
INNATE PHYSICAL
CHARACTER
Healthy habitats
for wildlife
Ecosystem Services
Recreational &
cultural use
Provision of
clean water
Regulation of
water quantity
URBAN LANDSCAPE
- - benefit..?
 ‘Wellbeing’
 ‘Wellbeing’
 Biodiversity
 Productivity
 Treatment cost
 Eco. health
 Aesthetics
 Safety & Health
 Flood risk
 Base flow
Impacts
- benefit..?
 Biodiversity
 Health/wellbeing
 Temperature
 Health
 Aesthetics
 Safety & Health
 Flood risk
 Base flow
Impacts
Ecosystem
WATER
LAND
BIOTA
Risks/threats
Pressure 1
Pressure 2
Pressure 3
Pressure 4
PRACTICE
INNATE PHYSICAL
CHARACTER
Greenspace for
wildlife & people
Ecosystem Services
Recreational &
cultural use
Regulation of air
quality+temp
Regulation of
water quantity
Where do these occur…and
what is their impact
How can we reduce
these risks…?
Where can we
get the most
benefits..?

12. How do we decide what to do…?

13. INTERVENTIONS TOOLBOX
Health + wellbeing
Prosperity / deprivation
Air quality
Flood risk
Recreation / leisure
Health + wellbeing
Prosperity / deprivation
Air quality
Flood risk
Recreation / leisure
Health + wellbeing
Prosperity / deprivation
Air quality
Flood risk
Recreation / leisure
CURRENT PROVISION / NEED / PRIORITY
OPPORTUNITY /
SUITABILITY
“Optioneering…?”

14. Priority/Opportunity/
Suitability areas
Toolbox of
interventions
Greenspace/GI
SuDS
River Restoration
Waste water management
Integrated toolbox for urban
catchment management
WIN-WIN
“Provider saves”
Delivery
Framework
REGULATION
“Polluter pays”
INCENTIVES
“Provider is paid”
WHERE?
WHAT?
WHO?
…& who pays?
Decision-
support tool

15. “Our aim should be to understand people’s needs, build consensus
and then do something intelligent that benefits as many people
as possible…”
We should therefore strive to…
• Deliver the most multi-functional (multi-benefit-realising)
interventions,
• tailored and targeted into specific & appropriate locations
• where there is both a quantifiable need/requirement for the
provision of these benefits to be increased
• and where they are best able to deliver their benefits optimally
(maximising the cost-to-benefit ratio achieved)
The aim of this project is to improve the understanding of these
elements and develop resources that enable and empower
catchment partnerships and policy-makers to build consensus
and achieve the very best possible outcomes from their work

16. Piloting the ESS framework…where...?

17. Knowledge transfer & dissemination

18. Aqualinc NZ – Wheel of Water

19. SWW & AECOM – TBL

20. SWW & AECOM – TBL

21. SWW & AECOM – TBL

22. SWW & AECOM – TBL

23. WaND – Davis Butler, UoE

24. ESS Health Cards – RELU