NW European Policy-Science Working Group on Reducing Nutrient Emissions : mitigation options: Evaluating the impact of implementing nutrient management strategies on reducing nutrient emissions from agriculture in NW Europe

Abstract

In the northwestern part of Europe, many surface waters suffer from eutrophication through diffuse losses of nutrients from agriculture to surface water and relatively high nitrate concentrations in groundwater in nitrate vulnerable zones. A lot of research and policy has been devised to decrease these losses. The northwestern European countries (Denmark, NW Germany, Belgium (Flanders), United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands) are working together in an active policy-science working group to improve water quality by evaluating the impact of implemented nutrient management strategies. More insight into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different mitigation options under specific circumstances is needed. Therefore, each country has prepared factsheets with specific information for the top six mitigation options. Based on this information, general factsheets were made to compare the effects and cost-effectiveness of mitigation options between the NW European countries. The results are presented in this report