Building Resilience into Catchments
Through the Building Resilience into Catchments(BRICs) project further developments are being made to create an enterprise capable of running a nutrient based trading scheme. BRICs is a 3 year(2017-2019), £600,000+ project, led by the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and PLANED. It is funded under the Welsh Government’s Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme Sustainable Management Scheme (SMS) which aims to support activities that will improve the management of Wales’ natural resources, and in doing so contribute to the well-being of our rural communities. BRICs is a combination of on the ground actions to improve water quality with the creation of a nutrient trading scheme which will allow the economy of Pembrokeshire to grow while improving the natural environment.
A delivery framework for a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) based nutrient trading scheme for the Milford Haven and Cleddau Catchment
Drivers and Structure
Work Package 1 shows the drivers for nutrient trading in the Milford Haven/Cleddau Catchment and describes the structure for a PES based scheme.
- The range of different schemes, drivers for implementation, costs and benefits
- Implementation structures – who operates the scheme, how it is managed, operating costs, connections to permits and planning conditions, how it is regulated, compliance monitoring, perpetuity of agreement to secure measure, long term sustainability
- Structure should clarify, minimise and manage risks to all parties involved
Quantification of Nutrient Reduction
Work Package 2 describes how to quantify a measured reduction of nutrients over a determined time frame, the management actions that will be used to achieve the reductions, and how these actions will fit alongside any relevant regulation and emerging policies.
- Scientific basis for assessment of measurements for nutrient reductions for both landowner conservation management measures and developer site activities requiring offsetting
- Examples of management actions to reduce nutrients and confidence in measurement of reduction
- An assessment of why current land management practices to reduce nutrients are undertaken / not undertaken to guide any recommended management actions
- UK / EU legislative frameworks and how the scheme would fit into existing regulations
Implimentation Plan
Work Package 3 demonstrates how the scheme will be implemented including inception, monitoring, review, of on farm works. Including roles, responsibilities, and transaction models while demonstrating the financial case for long term scheme sustainability.
- Three year project development implementation plan with tools needed to deliver the scheme, i.e. contract templates, options for landowner engagement, process for evaluating/approving/tracking on farm measures.
- Financials – how the project will be financially supported during implementation.
- Robust business case for long term project sustainability and exit strategy from public sector seed funding.
- Scope for pan-Wales implementation.
Development Plan
Work Package 4 incorporates the three previous work packages to produce a robust development plan for the Milford Haven/Cleddau Catchment while considering the ability to scale or replicate the approach where appropriate.
1. Developed in close liaison with the BRICs key stakeholders a final project report will be produced taking into account WP deliverables 1, 2, and 3 which will form the basis of how to take the project into operation.
BRICs Stakeholders
