Collaborative water-resource governance in the UK: Understanding network structure and functionality of a catchment-based approach to water-quality management

Since 2011 water resource governance in the UK has begun to integrate a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach to water-quality management. The Catchment-Based Approach (CaBA) facilitates local partnerships of stakeholders to co-create plans, align actions, and make collective decisions about efforts to improve and protect local river and stream environments. The approach offers potential for the enactment of effective, equitable and sustainable water management, but it is often unclear how such efforts are characterised practically. The multiplicity of stakeholders and complexity of issues and influences contribute to difficulty in discerning how governance change is functioning. This thesis uses a case study of the River Wear Catchment, North East England, where stakeholders have been operating CaBA, to begin to explore the patterns and drivers of actions and interactions that facilitate collaborative water-resource governance at the stakeholder level. Drawing on the concept of the catchment as a complex, social-environmental system, this research utilises insights from stakeholders and a combination of analytical methods, including a network approach and agent-based modelling, to provide new perspectives on the network structure and functioning of multi-stakeholder water management. A network approach is used to build a picture of interactions amongst stakeholders and to reveal the nature of the new relationships built through CaBA. Qualitative analysis of interview data identifies key influences on the decision-making of stakeholders and the functionality of new and existing networks of relations at three levels; the interactional, individual and contextual. Agent-based modelling is then used as a heuristic research tool to combine knowledge of relational structures with influences on stakeholder behaviour to experiment with potential dynamics of the system through a specific water-quality, problem-based scenario. The combination of these analytical methods allows a more in-depth and dynamic understanding of the patterns and processes of CaBA than has been revealed previously. The thesis ultimately comments on the utility of such methods for creating new understandings of the operationalisation of water governance processes, and for the utility of those new understandings to inform and question the facilitation of effective and satisfactory delivery of collaborative multi-stakeholder water-quality management at the catchment-scale

Understanding a collaborative approach to catchment-based water quality management in the UK: A study of the Lower River Wear Pilot

In order to test a new catchment-based approach to water management, the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned pilot studies in 25 river catchments across England and Wales between 2011 and 2012. A key component of the approach was to encourage stakeholders to work collaboratively at the local level to find effective ways to protect resources and help meet EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) targets. The collaborative approach to water management has been little studied in the UK and as a result the pilot schemes provide a unique opportunity to begin to characterise and evaluate their impact and role. This study explores the collaborative approach taken in the Lower River Wear Pilot in the NE of England and, using in depth interviews with participants, aims to provide a comprehensive picture of a collaborative environmental management approach by studying the processes, impacts and influences of one pilot scheme. Data from interviews with 13 participants, which included environmental practitioners from the Environment Agency, environmental NGOs, local authorities and private companies, were supplemented with details from meeting minute documents. Analysis through coding gave an insight into the perspectives and understandings of those directly involved in the project. Key findings reveal evidence for the presence of a collaborative approach with characteristics similar to those highlighted in previous studies. The presence of a facilitator, regular meetings, interactive forms of communication and established processes of problem and direction setting, were balanced against evidence for the underlying principles of participation, inclusion and co-production of knowledge. Overall impressions of the approach from participants were distinctly positive, based in the presence of strong working relationships, and an open and inclusive environment. Success of the approach is shown to be influenced by confident and personable leadership as well as the intermediary roles of participants in the creation of dynamic social institutions that are reactive to the environmental and social context of the project. The significance of the research relates to its value as a case study taken from the participants’ perspective and aims to contribute valuable insights into the characteristics of collaborative approaches to environmental management in the UK and the hidden mechanisms that might influence their success

Citizen perceptions and values associated with ecosystem services from European grassland landscapes

European permanent grasslands are multifunctional landscapes that deliver an important mix of ecosystem services. The effectiveness of future policies linked to landscape and agricultural practices requires consideration of citizen perceptions of, and priorities for, benefits (e.g. ecosystem services) demanded from permanent grasslands. This exploratory research aimed to expand understanding of citizens' perceptions and socio-cultural valuation of grassland landscapes, ecosystem service provision and management across Europe in order to inform future research. Fifteen focus groups with residents of rural areas, urban areas, and young adults from rural areas (aged 18-26) (N = 104), were conducted across five European countries (Spain, Sweden, UK, Switzerland and the Czech Republic) between 2020 and 2021. Overall, participants perceived grassland landscapes positively, describing connection to the landscape through experience, emotions, environmental characteristics, activity, access, and cultural identity. Prioritisation of ecosystem services from grassland varied between countries, influenced by grassland system diversity, and complex socio-cultural and socio-economic differences. Rural dwellers, including rural youth, perceived more benefits from grasslands than urban dwellers. Perceptions of problems were related to reduction, degradation and abandonment of grassland, and varied between urban and rural dwellers. Consumer education about the value of grasslands was perceived as vital in ensuring sustainable management and use of these landscapes. Citizens across different countries shared farming ideals relating to farming for biodiversity. These findings can help ensure that policies surrounding landscape and agricultural practices align with societal perspectives and priorities to effectively deliver multifunctional, valued, sustainable grassland systems

The effectiveness of policies promoting sustainable permanent grasslands across five European countries (representing five biogeographic regions): mapping, understanding, and key stakeholder perceptions

The purpose of this report is to identify, map, and evaluate the most relevant European policies seen to influence permanent grassland (PG) management. To accomplish this, an interdisciplinary, crossnational team from the UK, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, and Sweden reviewed over 50 in-depth policy frameworks. With direction from expert stakeholders and a review of the policy landscape, we identified the most relevant policy instruments influencing PGs across five different biogeographic regions in Europe (Alpine, Atlantic, Boreal, Continental, and Mediterranean). The mapping of each country’s policy mix was guided inter-alia by a ‘cascade framework’ to illustrate the entry points, intermediary actors, mechanisms and pathways through which policies deliver their intended effects on PGs. This entailed an in-depth analysis of publicly available government sources documenting the aims, objectives, targets, monitoring systems, outputs and outcomes of each policy instrument. In total, 24 policies were mapped using 50 different criteria, with 15 of the policies unique to the case study countries. This resulted in an extensive excel database of over 3400 unique cells containing rich qualitative data. The excel data were coded in a consistent manner across the country teams so that they could be compared, synthesized, and used to identify patterns in the policy mix and logic of intervention. We show, for instance, that across Europe, the dominant policy logic uses regulations and incentives to influence farmer adoption of desired landscape compositions. This directly influences, but does not guarantee, the range of ecosystem services (ES) that are possible from the landscape. At the same time, we discovered a lack of policies targeting consumer demand for PG ecosystem services and only a few designed to drive sustainable PG management by directly promoting the value of PGs with beneficiaries. To complement the policy mapping, stakeholders’ assessed the perceived effectiveness of the policy mix in each country. This evaluation included over 50 interviews with key stakeholders across Europe representing government, academia, farmers, and special interests, and covered perceptions of democracy, legitimacy, relevance, efficiency and impact in relation to the effectiveness of policies relevant to the management of PG. Our findings reveal generally positive perceptions of grassland policy effectiveness across Europe, with special interest groups being the least positive and governments the most. The in-depth country case studies reveal striking similarities, as well as differences between countries and stakeholder groups, which are illustrative of the problems, challenges, and barriers confronting policy effectiveness. We conclude this report by offering insights and policy implications. In particular, we suggest that the following four points are taken into consideration to improve the PG policy landscape: 1) Reduce complexity and administrative burden to make policies more understandable and accessible. 2) Require stakeholder involvement when developing strategic plans and assessing policy. 3) Encourage consideration of trade-offs between PG management and ES delivery, by designing policies to explicitly target the interaction between landscape structures and ES (or target them in parallel). 4) Encourage a balance of policy logic, by moving away from targeting farmers with regulation or subsidies to manage the landscape towards targeting consumer demand for ES (through information) and the value of ES (such as direct payments for regulating and cultural services)

Perceived feasibility of sward management options in permanent grassland of Alpine regions and expected effects on delivery of ecosystem services

Agriculture in Alpine regions plays an important role for multiple ecosystem services (ES) supplied from permanent grassland (PG). This paper investigates the feasibility of sward renewal, overseeding, and rising plate meters on PG for the Swiss Alpine region and analyses their expected effects on ES supply. Sward renewal and overseeding are management options implemented in response to a decline of grassland yields and nutritive value or sward damage. Rising plate meters focus on increased grass utilisation for improving profitability of grassland farms in a sustainable manner. The aim was to improve the understanding which of these three PG management practices could be promoted to deliver a wide range of agricultural and non-agricultural ESs in the Swiss Alpine region. Through interviews with 75 farmers (including organic and intensive/extensive non-organic farmers) and a Delphi-methodology on a panel of experts (N = 10 experts with different expertise), we found that sward renewal is perceived to have negative effects on biodiversity, carbon storage, flood control, prevention of soil erosion, and prevention of loss of organic matter in Alpine regions. Therefore, sward renewal should not be promoted, although about half of the farmers interviewed had already carried out the practice on plots following severe sward damage in Alpine regions. Overseeding is perceived to have positive effects on biodiversity, prevention of soil erosion, and grass production. Thus, the high level of overseeding that is currently practiced in the Swiss Alpine region is probably sustainable. Rising plate meters do not play a significant role in PG management in the Alpine region because calibration in PG with diverse grassland botanical composition in the Alpine region is too difficult

Governing Integration: Insights from Integrating Implementation of European Water Policies

Integrated water resource management (IWRM) is a well-established goal, but there is little evidence about processes of integration linked to water policies. To address this, in 2016–2018 we used a content analysis, a survey and interviews with key actors leading the creation of plans to implement Europe’s Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive. We explored whether and how implementation of these policies is being coordinated and reflect on implications for integrated water governance. We found a strong emphasis on achieving integration via coordination. Our interviews brought particular attention to the resources and capacities needed to improve collaboration across teams, including but not limited to information-sharing. Our study gives insight into practical approaches that may support coordination and hence integration of different policy goals for water management: however further theoretically-informed study to track these and other processes is required, as work to connect policy integration with IWRM is still in its infancy

High Throughput sequencing technologies complemented by growers’ perceptions highlight the impact of tomato virome in diversified vegetable farms and a lack of awareness of emerging virus threats

peer reviewedThe number of small-scale diversified vegetable growers in industrialized countries has risen sharply over the last 10 years. The risks associated with plant viruses in these systems have been barely studied in Europe, yet dramatic virus emergence events, such as tomato brown fruit rugose virus (ToBRFV), sometimes occur. We developed a methodology that aimed to understand better the implications related to viruses for tomato production in Belgian’s vegetable farms by comparing growers’ perception and the presence of plant-viral-like symptoms (visual inspection) with non-targeting detection of nearly all viruses present in the plants by high throughput sequencing technologies (HTS). Virus presence and impact were interpreted considering the farm’s typology and cultural practices, and the grower’s professional profiles. Overall, the data indicated that most growers have limited understanding of tomato viruses and are not concerned about them. Field observations were correlated to this perception as the prevalence of symptomatic plants was usually lower than 1%. However, important and potentially emergent viruses, mainly transmitted by insects, were detected in several farms. Notably, the presence of these viruses tended to be associated with the number of plant species grown per site (diversity) but not with a higher awareness of the growers regarding plant viral diseases, or a higher number of symptomatic plants. In addition, both HTS and perception analysis underlined the rising incidence and importance of an emergent virus: Physostegia chlorotic mottle virus. This study also revealed a notable lack of knowledge among producers regarding the highly contagious quarantine virus ToBRFV. Overall, the original methodology developed here, involving the integration of two separate fields of study (social science with phytopathology using HTS technologies), could be applied to other crops in other systems to identify emergent risks associated with plant viruses, and can highlight the communication needed with growers to mitigate epidemics. This exploratory investigation provides relevant insights, which, ideally, would be further tested on wider samples to allow finer statistical treatment to be performed

Citizen perceptions and values associated with ecosystem services from European grassland landscapes

European permanent grasslands are multifunctional landscapes that deliver an important mix of ecosystem services. The effectiveness of future policies linked to landscape and agricultural practices requires consideration of citizen perceptions of, and priorities for, benefits (e.g. ecosystem services) demanded from permanent grasslands. This exploratory research aimed to expand understanding of citizens’ perceptions and socio-cultural valuation of grassland landscapes, ecosystem service provision and management across Europe in order to inform future research. Fifteen focus groups with residents of rural areas, urban areas, and young adults from rural areas (aged 18–26) (N = 104), were conducted across five European countries (Spain, Sweden, UK, Switzerland and the Czech Republic) between 2020 and 2021. Overall, participants perceived grassland landscapes positively, describing connection to the landscape through experience, emotions, environmental characteristics, activity, access, and cultural identity. Prioritisation of ecosystem services from grassland varied between countries, influenced by grassland system diversity, and complex socio-cultural and socio-economic differences. Rural dwellers, including rural youth, perceived more benefits from grasslands than urban dwellers. Perceptions of problems were related to reduction, degradation and abandonment of grassland, and varied between urban and rural dwellers. Consumer education about the value of grasslands was perceived as vital in ensuring sustainable management and use of these landscapes. Citizens across different countries shared farming ideals relating to farming for biodiversity. These findings can help ensure that policies surrounding landscape and agricultural practices align with societal perspectives and priorities to effectively deliver multifunctional, valued, sustainable grassland systems.ISSN:0264-8377ISSN:1873-575