Holistic Understanding of Diffuse Rural Pollution

Bringing together natural and social science perspectives on understanding diffuse pollution.

Project Status: Completed (See Final Report Summary)
Type of Project: Capacity Building Award
Principal Investigator: Professor Louise Heathwaite, University of Lancaster (Email)
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Objectives

This project is seeking to enhance and expand capabilities for integrative, interdisciplinary research on rural issues, under the specific theme of diffuse pollution. The aim is to build capacity towards developing a cross-disciplinary approach to broaden our understanding of the causes and consequences of diffuse agricultural pollution. The aim is broadly defined, so as to include all land management activities that impact upon the quantity and quality of water in our rivers and groundwater, as well as the organisms that live within them. The project has the following objectives:

1. Problem-framing: to identify and to understand the ways in which diffuse pollution may be conceptualised as ‘a problem’ among natural and social scientists.

2. Thinking outside ‘the box’: to use these conceptualisations to find common ground in research needs to produce a more holistic and inclusive understanding of the diffuse pollution problem.

3. Adding depth: to learn from international expertise in developing interdisciplinary approaches to tackling diffuse pollution.

4. Adding breadth: to learn from stakeholder experience in order to understand how they might contribute to, and benefit from, improved understanding and consensus decision-making.

5. A new methodological framework: to develop a generic approach for social and natural scientists working on agri-environmental challenges.

PUBLICATIONS

Working Papers/Briefing Papers

Donaldson, A., Heathwaite, L., Lane, S.N., Ward, N. and Whatmore, S.J. (2005) Holistic approaches to understanding diffuse land management issues: A framework for interdisciplinary working, Centre for Rural Economy Discussion Paper 2, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/cre/publish/discussionpapers/pdfs/ discussionpaper2.pdf

Heathwaite, A. L., Lane, S. N., Ward, N., Whatmore, S. and Donaldson, A. (2005) Capacity building project on bringing together natural and social science perspectives on understanding diffuse pollution. Final Report to project stakeholders and the RELU programme on project workshops, January 2005, 18pp.

Journal Articles
Lane, S.N., Brookes, C.J., Heathwaite, A.L. and Reaney, S. (2006) ‘Surveillant science: challenges for the management of rural environments emerging from the new generation diffuse pollution models’ Journal of Agricultural Economics, 57, 2: 239-258.

Conference Papers and Presentations
Heathwaite, A.L. (2005) "Catchment sensitive science into policy" Presentation to UNESCO Workshop on surface - groundwater interactions in river corridors, Session IV Knowledge transfer into catchment management practices Oxford, UK, 12-14th September.

Heathwaite, A.L. (2005) "Connectivity: linking land to water: processes, pathways and risk assessment for water quality" Presentation to Joint FAO/IAEA Division Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. International meeting on Water and Land Resources Management within the Plant Rooting Zone for Food and Security and Environmental Sustainability, Vienna 18-20th May 05.

Heathwaite, A.L. and Harris, R. (2005) "Integrated catchment science" Presentation to NERC LOCAR Science meeting, Reading, UK, 20th March. Invited contribution.

Heathwaite, A.L. (2005) "Water, water everywhere – but usually too much, too little or too late" Presentation to Sustainable Development Research Network Annual Meeting, London, 22 September.

Lane, S., Donaldson, A., Heathwaite, L., Ward, N. and Whatmore, S. (2005) "Space, uncertainty and the challenge of simulation modelling using minimum information requirements: implications for rural land management in relation to diffuse agricultural pollution" Presentation to RELU Workshop ‘People and the Rural Environment: Scoping the Research Agenda’ 18 May, York.
http://www.relu.ac.uk/events/WorkshopMay05/1ALane.pdf

Lane, S. N., Heathwaite, A. L. and Brookes, C.J. 2005) "Where does diffuse pollution come from? A multi-scale risk-based approach grounded in hydrological conductivity" Presentation to European Geophysical Union, EGU, Session HS36 Spatial patterns of water quality, April 2005.

Heathwaite, L. (2004) RELU and building capacity in water research. Paper presented to Community-based Activity in the Uplands: Opportunities and Limits, International Centre for the Uplands, Cumbria, Penrith, 12-13 November.

Heathwaite, L. (2004) Understanding diffuse pollution: capacity building under the RELU programme. Paper presented to BBSRC event, Royal Show, Stoneleigh, July 6.

Heathwaite, L. (2004) Paper presented to NERC Science for Sustainable Water Management Workshop.

Heathwaite, L. (2004) Paper presented to RSPB Diffuse Pollution from Agriculture Research Project Seminar, London, 15 November.