(Policy) (Evidence) (Delivery)

Simon Johnson – Director – Eden Rivers Trust

LINKING THE ‘THINKING’ WITH THE ‘DOING’

@edenriverstrust

My Personal Connection to all three DTC’s

•  Learnt to fish on the Hampshire Avon • Developed River Rehabilitation

Feasibility Study and projects for the Wensum back in late 90’s

• UEA Alumni Env95! • Married in Cawston Church • Now live, work and play on the Eden •  So, I’m not just playing for the home

team today!

Limits to our Knowledge

What we don’t know…yet We can’t always provide convincing answers to farmers on four critical questions they ask us; 1.  What impact do I have on the Eden? 2.  How do you know that? (and that it isn’t somebody else's fault?) 3.  What can I do about it? (and will / is it working?) 4.  Is the Eden improving, stable or deteriorating?

But farmers won’t accept…

!•  Evangelism; •  Eco-idealism; •  Faith alone; •  Insider Dialogue; •  Impenetrable thickets of technical gobbledegook (RBMP’s)

They want to… !• Be sure we know what we are talking about; • Know that our analysis is sound; •  See that we have the evidence to back it up. • Be provided with understandable hard, factual and proven answers

…and then they become more willing to take responsibility and to act

So… Assembling the right evidence and also presenting it right - is at the heart of the matter.

!!But the right evidence constitutes much more than the EA WFD-2 Catchment Summaries have served up. (no mention of EDTC evidence In ST RBMP!) The above is key to successful engagement and to drive participation – better and faster outcomes (WFD article 14)

!!!!

Why did we get involved? • A chance to create a co-ordinated evidence base / new knowledge •  Strengthen the CaBA Saving Eden Coalition by;

» Using good science to answer our catchment critical questions » Understanding where we get our best ‘bang-for-buck’ » Plugging into a national network of academia and policy makers » Opportunity to empower farmers to help shape the future of

catchment management

What ERT brings to DTC

•  Joined-up thinking (Selling the benefits) • Catchment Based Approach (Host) • Co-financing of mitigation measures (more later) •  Added value (e.g. links to FRM agenda) •  Links to other catchment & Industry partners (Saving Eden Coalition) •  Trusted by the farming community •  20 year track record of exemplary delivery of innovative, creative, cost

effective and sustainable solutions •  Sense-checked input to support Defra policy questions •  Field Base / Hot Desk / Meeting Room & good coffee!

Farming Community Engagement & Interface

1.  Deliver a network of participating farms

2.  Raise awareness within the catchment community

3.  Negotiate access agreements and gather data on current farm practice

“Real engagement will involve building long-term relationships, strong communication throughout, active involvement and feedback of results”

Aim: Develop the local social framework required to support DTC

EdenDTC - A Matter of Trust (1) (The clue is in the name…)

!•  ERT – Based in the catchment (Well Respected) •  ERT – Very strong links to farming •  ERT – Act as a ‘Dating Service’ for Academics & Farmers •  ERT - Facilitating / Planning / Delivering / Co-Financing Mitigation

Measures •  ERT - Placing the farm business at the centre of discussions – linking

to other projects & investment •  ERT - Provide a 24/7 ‘Trouble-shooting’ service

A Matter of Trust (2) (He’s / She’s got an ‘ology’…)

•  Independent scientific evidence – trusted by farmers • Research based on ‘real farms in real time’ in the catchment • Knowledge Exchange & dialogue with farmers

A Matter of Trust (3) (Big Brother…)

!• Not Defra Family’s new policemen in the catchment •  Pragmatic Enforcement Amnesty •  Identifying problems and offering solutions – not judging • Advice led regulation vs Enlightened Self Interest •  Live data feed (EdenDTC website)

WILL

Altogether Now - Eden’s Approach

Consortium Based: •  ERT •  Lancaster University •  Durham University •  Newcastle University •  British Geological Survey

Working in Friendly Collaboration with; •  Eden Farmers •  Defra Family (esp CSF) •  Newton Rigg College •  And many others !

!

DTC’s USP…

It!is!/!must!do!more!to!help!farmers!to!help!themselves!by;!!

•  Being!more!resilient!–!to!the!effects!of!markets/!regula>on!/!red?tape!/!extreme!weather!(climate!change)!

•  Giving!them!a!voice!/!plaEorm!to!help!shape!the!na>onal!policy!agenda!•  Developing!real!world!approaches!that!work!(or!helping!us!understand!why!they!fail)!

•  By!making!a!sound!business!case!for!environment!protec>on!(rural!economy)!!

!!…and its challenge is;!

not!to!be!“yet%another%research%project%for%geeks%and%policy%pimps”…%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Anon!

Mi>ga>on!

Good!Science! Delivery! Mul>!Outcomes!

Engagement

Can!we!deploy!right!solu>ons!in!the!right!place?!

The DTC ‘Logic Chain’

Mitigation

Co-delivery = Multiple Benefits During the last three years ERT has worked with EdenDTC and other partners on a number of joined-up thinking delivery projects. Working with the right partners, with the right skills, networks and resources, at the right time. This approach has helped to support: •  The outcomes in the Saving Eden Manifesto •  The priorities of individual coalition member organisations (WFD / HD / AMP6…) •  Real time ground truthing & support of Defra policy questions and cutting edge research And here are 4 great examples…

WORKED!WITH!EDEN!FARMERS!TO!STOP!2!MILLION+!GALLONS!OF!DIRTY!FARMYARD!WATER!ENTERING!WATERCOURSES.!

PIONEERED!‘CUTTING!EDGE’!LAND!MANAGEMENT!TECHNIQUES!WITH!EDEN!FARMERS!

We are helping farmers improve their expertise in sustainable soil management and also helping us to reduce soil compaction in an area identified by our modelling studies as high risk. Soil aeration has benefits for reducing rapid surface runoff, storing more water in the soil, reducing soil erosion and sediment loss to rivers, improving grass growth and increasing yields for the farmer.

Benefits of GPS include reduced nutrient leaching, less fertiliser used and fewer tractor passes (reduced soil compaction / less diesel)

!!

FUNDED,&,DESIGNED,WATER!FRIENDLY!FARMING!INFRASTRUCTURE,!GPS!EQUIPMENT,!A!WETLAND!AND!CLASSROOM!AT!THE!£2.3m!‘STATE!OF!THE!ART’!?NEWTON!RIGG!COLLEGE!DAIRY!UNIT!

SUPPORTED!CATCHMENT!BASED!RESEARCH!&!KNOWLEDGE!EXCHANGE!

Shaping the future for DTC-2 & beyond?

Monitoring & Evidence

Data Visualisation

Stakeholder Engagement

Support

Knowledge Exchange

Catchment Research

Hub

Policy Support

Prioritisation (Delivery)

Evaluation of Measures

Unlocking DTC’s ‘Catchment Critical’ Supporting Role?

Waste Water Treatment

Works

Septic Tanks

Grey Infrastructure

Industry

…by going beyond the impacts of diffuse agri-pollution alone

Flood Risk

But this model will only be possible with more investment & commitment!!

DTC’s Cross Road Blues?

•  Is Defra’s current expectation too high?

•  If it is, do we;

A.  Keep to a very tight brief? (some progress) B. Make the current investment

work harder? C. Use DTC as a platform to

secure further investment?

! (B&C will hitch a ride to even better outcomes)

Making Defra Mitigation Investment Work Harder

(£59k)

• Dacre Beck • ALFA £ 270k •  Farmers £130k

• Newton Rigg College Dairy • ALFA (Dairy) £100k • College £2.3M

•  Pow • CRF / CSF (Mitigation) £239k •  Farmers £100k

• Morland Beck • CRF / CSF (Mitigation) £14k •  Farmers £30k

• Total £ 3.18M (1:54)

!

Land & Water Specialist Combining FRM and DTC-2 £50k

Carrot and Stick

• Our current ‘mitigation offer’ to Eden farmers is voluntary •  It relies on the principle of Enlightened Self Interest • However, it is often the ‘black-smokers’ in the catchment that refuse

to sign-up. •  In these cases our Farming Think-tank stated that an effective

regulatory approach would be an appropriate response. • To ensure that everyone does their ‘fair share’ and does not gain an

unfair economic advantage over those who are ‘doing the right thing’.

My DTC ‘Bucket List’ •  Establish better connections with;

•  The national CaBA Steering Group •  Environment Agency (no longer monitoring in Eden) •  Natural England – Natura 2000 agenda / CSF •  Water Companies (AMP 7 planning)

•  Strengthen Knowledge Exchange Networks •  (ST RBMP omission?!)

•  Develop a Tactical Communications Plan to; •  Tell the emerging research stories ‘in plain English’ to differing audiences •  Strengthen links with farming bodies •  Use a tool to secure investment opportunities (compelling business case) •  Develop ‘Calls to Action’ (Farmers / Regulators / Policy Makers / Funders)

•  Widen the bandwidth of research interest •  Flood Risk Management

•  Other forms of diffuse / point source pollution

•  Co-ordination & interpretation of ‘all catchment data’ to help answer my critical questions •  National ‘Evidence & Impacts’ Centre hosted by a Third Sector Organisation? •  Research partnership with Universities & Public / Private Sector •  Visualisation of catchment critical data / emerging stories !

A final thought Lets just pause to reflect on what it’s all about Sure, we have objectives to deliver such as Policy Frameworks, Directives and corporate must do’s, etc. But we should not loose sight of the overall mission…

To save our magnificent catchments & keep them in the rudest of health for people, economy and nature.

Rivers connect us to nature, to our past and to each other.

This inspiration combined with the DTCs intellectual energy will help us in our mission to…

Questions & Answers…

@edenriverstrust