31/05/09
A real opportunity exists to embed the fundamentals of land use management and pollution control at source in River Basin Management Plans to be finalised this year.
The architects of the water framework directive had a good vision: sustainable water management that supports the ecology and environment we all depend on.
The key is better understanding of the impact of land use on the quantity and quality of water in the environment. Action based on such understanding, along with skilled engineering (to control erosion, manage floods, create habitats, capture and retain carbon) and use of natural environmental processes to control flow levels and pollution, will improve the prospects of genuinely sustainable water policy.
However, land management in urban and rural areas, (agricultural and otherwise) requires concerted action by all players – government, regulators, industry, third sector.
Manufacturers of products and chemicals, industry supply chains and society all have important roles in making the WFD sustainable. This means, in some cases, managing products and chemicals differently and using them more efficiently, so that they do not cause pollution. We must reflect these changes in the final river basin plans.
River basin management planning
Background and consultation, Defra
Contact: Steve Ntifo
This article was first published in the Water UK stakeholder e-newsletter The View from Water UK, May 2009.
