Food and Drink Federation Challenges and Choices Consultation webinar 8 April 2020
Aim To consider how to shape our future water environment
Objectives • Understand the pressures facing the water environment • Consider the implications of too much, too little water and achieving an environment with good water quality • Inform and influence strategic approaches
Challenges and Choices Damian Crilly Manager, Strategic Catchment Partnerships Environment Agency
Challenges and Choices consultation A public consultation on: • Challenges facing water environment • What is needed to return 75% of waters to their natural state Consultation runs from Oct 24 2019 to 24 April 2020 https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/environment-and-business/challenges-and-choices
Challenges and Choices consultation Consultation responses will help update the River Basin Management Plans: 1. What are the challenges that threaten the water environment? 2. What choices do we need to make to manage them? 3. How can we work together better?
River Basin Management Plans Set out what needs to happen and when to achieve Make the economic objectives Engage and inform case for the water stakeholders and environment the public Facilitate Set binding statutory water collaboration and body objectives partnership action “Nationally Assess the current Shape government strategic, and future state of water policy and locally the environment future regulation owned”
River Basin Planning timelines Working Together: statement of steps and June 2018 6 month consultation consultation measures Challenges and Choices: Oct 2019 6 month consultation significant water management issues Oct 2020 Draft river basin management plans 6 month consultation Publish river basin management plans Dec 2021
Challenges and Choices topics Consultation will address the biggest challenges facing the water environment: • Climate and biodiversity crisis • Changes to water levels and flows • Chemicals in the water environment • Invasive non-native species • Physical modifications • Pollution from plastics • Pollution from abandoned mines • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas • Pollution from towns, cities and transport • Pollution from water industry wastewater
National Challenges 41% 36% 40% Water industry and private discharges 18% 14% of rivers, 76% Climate of elements at good change and ecological status population % of water bodies impacted by each pressure
Biodiversity and Climate Crises 13% 12% Freshwater and wetland species are threatened with Projected increase in population of England from 55.3 extinction and two-thirds are in decline million in 2016 to 62 million in 2041 1,200 Net zero hectares Internationally protected inter-tidal habitat and a further We all have our part to play in helping to reduce 500 hectares of freshwater habitat will be lost due to greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 coastal squeeze over the next 5 to 10 years Creating 4 o C wetland habitat Government committed to restoring or creating more Work together to plan for a range of future climate wetland and water features as part of scenarios, including a 4 ° C rise by end of century Nature Recovery Network, with 500,000ha of new or restored wildlife rich habitat
The Outcome Gap Outcome gap between 25 Year Environment Plan (YEP) aspiration and current reality A public consultation on: • Challenges facing water environment • What is needed to return 75% of waters to their natural state How do we bridge the gap and change trajectory?
Headline responses and issues • Awareness and education • Bans on pesticides and household chemicals • Beavers • Misconnections • National grid for water • Over 120 litres/day = price increases • Tighter regulation of abstraction • Tighter regulation of farm chemicals • Water meters • Wetland restoration
Consultation submissions https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/environment-and-business/challenges-and-choices/ Can be done as individuals, one organisation or collaboratively as a group.
Key themes • Too little - how can businesses adapt to using less water? • Too much - how to manage flood risk? • Not the right quality - why does water quality matter?
Thank You
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