Project Partners

Profile

Name: University of Chichester Business School
Abbreviation: UoC
Country: UNITED KINGDOM, West Sussex, Bognor Regis
Website: http://www.chi.ac.uk/
Participants: Dave Cooper, Dawn Robins, Will Roberts, Ali Mustafa, Emma Matthews

The University was a founder of the CPES project and has worked tirelessly to promote the payment for ecosystem services to stakeholders and potential partners. The University of Chichester is now the Lead Partner on the project Interreg Channel Payments for Ecosystem Services and managing the overall process.

The University of Chichester is a public university, which heritage stretches back into the 19th. Located on southern coast of England, in West Sussex, it has 14 departments, including a Business school. The University of Chichester is committed to sustainability in its teaching and research activities. The work is undertaken within the Business School’s Centre for Research in Sustainable Business. Existing research themes include; Offshore Renewable Energy, Socio/Economic impact measurement and regeneration, sustainable enterprise development, coastal zone management and ethical leadership/corporate social responsibility.

Taking part in CPES

The principle benefit for the University will be to build our knowledge and expertise in the development and implementation of PES within the context of land management and water quality improvements. Associated with this is the indirect impact on community sustainability. This will build on our previous INTERREG IV work in which we established the Devon Marine business cluster and worked with Chichester Harbour businesses to understand the socio/economic impact of their activities.

Additional benefit will arise from the establishment of collaborative partnerships and the opportunity to further build relationships along the South Coast of England and Northern France, specifically working with SHC. UoC has a reputation for building effective ‘open innovation networks’ and business clusters with partners on both sides of the Channel and has established strong working relationships. From our experience, these partnerships can lead to the development of new opportunities. This network of stakeholders will be utilised throughout the CPES project and will be a focal point for the dissemination of project outputs. The research team at the University will also use the work as the basis for additional academic output in Journals and conference proceedings.

The people

Individuals within UoC have both academic and practical experience of working to support the development of; building business networks, change management programmes, socio/economic impact modelling and developing commercial agreements and templates as demonstrated on previous Interreg projects.

• Dave Cooper is Professor of Management and Economic Development and Head of Business School and has managed many large commercial projects.
• Dawn Robins is Senior Lecturer & Research Coordinator.
• Will Roberts is Environmental Systems Research Assistant on the Channel Payments for Ecosystem Services project (CPES)
• Mustafa Ali works on the economics of PES

Actions

UoC is responsible for coordinating activity and overall project management of the CPES project, WP Management.

Other specific activity will include; supporting the stakeholder engagement activity, WP C, particularly the organisation of expert workshops, stakeholder analysis in SE England and supporting the development of the SE PES pilot schemes, WP T1. UoC will also support the WP T2 policy review.

International experience

UOC has been involved in managing aspects of two maritime related Interreg projects, which have built the department's reputation for high quality research:

• Channel Arc-Manche Integration Strategy (CAMIS) – 2013: researching innovation and clustering behaviours in the marine sector in Transport Work Package and Innovation WP. At the final event in Rouen, the University was complimented for the quality of its input by the President of the Haute Normandie Region.
• Channel MOR project: capitalisation INTERREG IV project, central piece of research and management of partners.

Profile

Name:Grand Bassin de l'Oust Syndicat
Abbreviation: SMGBO
Country : FRANCE, Brittany, Morbihan
Website: http://grandbassindeloust.fr/
Participants: Patrick Latouche, Julia Cadic, Alexandra Morin

The Syndicat Mixte du Grand Bassin de l'Oust (SMGBO) is a federation of 8 watersheds, whose objective is to recover the ecological status of streams and environments for sustainable development. To ensure the success of its action program, SMGBO aims at including all stakeholders sharing this objective, including farmers, agricultural service providers, industry, distributors of pesticides, users of aquatic environments (e.g. hunting, fishing), associations for the protection of the environment as well as local authorities.

Of the 75 watersheds in Brittany, SMGBO is the only existing federal structure, ensuring unity and effectiveness of actions, pooling of human and technical resources. SMGBO lead a pilot study of PES as a mechanism to improve the surface water quality within the Lac au Duc catchment, Brittany.

Take part in CPES

The Lac au Duc at the output of this catchment is emblematic of surface water quality problems encountered by most of inland Brittany and transitional waters in that it receives excessive nutrient inputs causing the recurrent development of dense cyanobacterial blooms which severely alter the quality of its water. In collaboration with specialists (public policies applied to agriculture and environmental economics), we will use both our knowledge of the agricultural environment of this catchment and the numerous contacts we have been able to forge with local stakeholders to develop the PES scheme. In this project , the SMGBO is looking to develop new tools to work with farmers in a better way and share the results with UK partners and together find new ways to work with farmers.

SMGBO has been involved for a long time in the implementation of agro-environmental measures (AEM), which are the current policy mechanisms used in Brittany to offer subsidies to farmers to transform agriculture into a more environment-friendly practice in favour of water resources. These AEM are quite similar to the PES schemes (voluntary basis, conditionnality of contracts, etc), but failed to achieve the desired level of water quality. 25 years of SMGBO activities have reduced nitrate concentrations from 70 mg to 35 mg/liter in the lake. But for the last five years, the rate of reduction has become very slow and for phosphates the result is more or less nonexistant. SGMBO expect that PES will solve some of the problems observed in the case of the AEM. SMGBO also expects from its participation to CPES the acquisition of new know-how and new skills associated with monitoring and evaluation indicators to assess the effectiveness of the implemented PES schemes. SGMBO wishes to participate in a project dedicated to understanding to what  extent beneficiaries and providers of the ecological services will be able to create a market to pursue a common public good to improve water quality and resources

The people

SMGBO has administrative staff partly dedicated to help technical people to deal with legal, financial, reglementory issues they can have. Also, dedicated staff is employed by SMGBO to deal with the financial managing and the reporting of EU co-financed and others international partners, thus leading the SMGBO technical people to focus themselves only on Science and bring their skills and know-how to the service of the projects

• Patrick Latouche is director of SMGBO and coordinator for the project and partners on Lac au Duc pilot site.
• Julia Cadic is communications officer for the overall CPES project within Communication WP and take part in Lac au Duc site coordination.
• Alexandra Morin is in charge of the administration and computability for SMGBO.

Actions

The SMGBO is coordinator of the consortium of scientists working on Lac au Duc pilot site, acting through WP T1  Implementation and WP T2 Politics.

The SMGBO as in charge the coordination of WP Communication for the overall project and thus pilot the communication strategy in consultation with all the partners.

International experience

As the biggest catchment federation in Brittany, SMGBO has several years experience in participating, coordinating and managing EU co-financed (INTERREG, LIFE).

• Interreg project WATER – 2013: partner.

Profile

Name: South Downs National Park Authority
Abbreviation: SNDPA
Country: ROYAUME-UNI, West Essex, Midhurst
Website: https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/
Participants: Jeremy Burgess

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is a landscape based organisation working with a wide variety of partners to manage the special landscape and wildlife of the South Downs in Southern England.  The NPA also has a role in increasing awareness and enjoyment of the National park.  Through the partnership management plan the NPA takes an ecosystem services approach as the basis for our work and is develops partnerships to work towards protecting the national park and its resources for the future.The NPA has effective relationships with farmers and land owners and helps to promote the voluntary uptake of best practice, reducing the impact of land management activities on the terrestrial and water environments.

The NPA has experience and expertise in a wide range of topics and works with the defined water partnerships. The NPA have also recently supported the creation of farm clusters which will enable CPES interventions and is involved with a number of projects with water quality issues. The NPA recognizes that there are many environmental issues within the National Park that are not being fully addressed by current mechanisms. The issues are particularly apparent in relation to water quality both in river systems and the groundwater of the chalk, with water from the national park supplying over one and a half million homes.

Take part in CPES

They recently piloted work on modelling nitrate and sedimentation issues within the NP. This work covers 2 of the focal catchments within the CPES project. In addition, the NPA have piloted ecosystem service mapping. These evidences will help identify the main risks to water bodies and enable the project to develop appropriate measures. It will also drive targeted actions on the ground.

The NPA wish to investigate the potential of PES schemes to make a difference to the environment and in enhancing the ecosystem services within the National Park. In addition, they wish to investigate the multiple ecosystem services benefits from some interventions such as increased soil resilience, carbon storage or pollination services. The NPA is keen to learn from the trialling of interventions and the PES mechanisms with a view to replicating these elsewhere in the National Park and applying the principals to different habitats.

The people

• Jeremy Burgess is Landscape and Biodiversity Lead: Water.

The actions

The SDNPA is supporting the two case studies in the National Park: South Downs Chalk grassland groundwater (Hampshire) and Rother river catchment (West Sussex).

In collaboration with water companies and land managers, SNDPA will test the most appropriate PES mechanisms in the two pilot areas within the National Park. They will assist with technical support and evidence, engagement with farmers and wider events and education. They will support the trialing of interventions and establish their cost-effectiveness. This will be essential to identify the most effective market mechanisms for enhancing Ecosystem Services, using this evidence to support further change working with the ‘farm clusters’. The NPA is also interested in looking at wider ecosystem benefits beyond the core issue of water quality.

International experience

The SDNPA has some experience in managing EU funded projects and has considerable experience in developing and managing partnerships.

• Interreg project Collabor8 – 2012: lead partner for a project relating to sustainable tourism.
• Two LIFE projects (bids currently awaiting approval): partner, projects relating to bats and woodlands and River catchment restoration.

Profile

Name: Portsmouth Water
Abbreviation: PW
Country: UNITED KINGDOM, Hampshire and Isle og Wight, South Hampshire, Havant
Website: https://www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/
Participants: Susie Holmes

Portsmouth Water is a UK water supply company providing drinking water from springs, wells, boreholes, and surface water sources to over 698,000 people. Portsmouth Water has been supplying water to Portsmouth and the surrounding area of southern England since 1857. The area supplied by the Company extends through South East Hampshire and West Sussex from the River Meon in the west to the River Arun in the east, encompassing 868 square kilometres. Nitrate concentrations in groundwater are rising impacting our borehole sources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=zb0TngBmJi4

Portsmouth Water is undertaking catchment management to address this, aiming to reduce nitrate in a way that is cost effective and sustainable for the environment. This represents an alternative to the traditional engineering approaches favoured by the water sector – e.g. nitrate removal plants. In 2008, they co-established the Downs & Harbours Clean Water Partnership to engage with farmers and provide advice to reduce pollution in groundwater and the receiving coastal waters (designated a Special Protection Area).

Take part in CPES

Portsmouth Water wish to further develop catchment management as the mechanism for addressing rising nitrate concentrations, expanding beyond the current voluntary ‘advice measures’, to include PES schemes driving on the ground change. CPES will support this justification to their Regulators demonstrating the benefits; it will also deliver the following operational benefits:

• helping to keep nitrate concentrations low, supporting the continued use of blending;
• delaying the point at which nitrate concentrations at a source exceed the DWS and the need for treatment;
• reducing the degree of treatment required in the future, thus lowering operating costs; and,
• reducing inputs of nitrate to water bodies for environmental benefit, achieving WFD objectives.

Working with all the CPES partners will have benefits for the delivery of our groundwater-focused pilot study in terms of knowledge exchange, lessons learnt etc.

The people

• Dr Chris Manning, Catchment Management Manager, and Alastair Stewart, Project Manager for Downs & Harbours Clean Water partnership took part in the project until 2018.
• Susie Holmes, from Susie Holmes Consulting, is in charge of management of Portsmouth Water’s CPES work as a contractor since October 2018.

The actions

Portsmouth Water is part of the partnerships of pilot site South Downs Chalk grassland groundwater (Hampshire).

Using the Downs & Harbors Clean Water Partnership to help deliver CPES outputs, they will lead a pilot study applying PES to improve groundwater quality as defined by WFD and Drinking Water Standards. They have already established a working group comprising 18 farmers covering 5139ha, with whom to deliver the following objectives:

• stakeholder engagement to assess the appetite for PES and the appropriate interventions/market mechanisms to improve groundwater quality;
• development of interventions and payment mechanisms;
• field trials of interventions;
• engagement of other potential buyers of ecosystem services;
• economic assessment of the PES approach; and,
• use of outputs to inform our future Business Plans ensuring sustainability of PES and increased uptake across our supply area post CPES.

International experience

Portsmouth Water has not previously participated in an Interreg/EU funded project.

Profile

Name: Westcountry Rivers Trust
Abbreviation : WRT
Country: UNITED KINGDOM, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Stoke Climsland
Website: http://wrt.org.uk/
Participants: Laurence Couldrick, Hazel Kendall

The WRT works to restore and protect rivers, estuaries and coasts in West of England. Its fields of expertise include:

characterisation and monitoring of pollutants facilitating local partnerships on water and environment water quality modelling, risk assessment and decision-making support and delivery of improvements in water quality by working with landowners.

WRT has a long history of investigating PES through the WATER project. This work showed that PES can work when targeted at businesses with a high dependency on the local natural environment and where that dependency cannot be easily transferred to other areas. Some of the most overt examples of this are where businesses are reliant on the flow of water through a river catchment to a lake, an estuary or other acute receiving water body. Where these businesses are impacted significantly by degradation in the quality and quantity of water and the solution is of a sufficiently small scale there is a clear economic case for securing supply and building long term business resilience through PES. This has been exemplified by schemes such as Upstream Thinking (UST), a South West Water funded initiative that was born out of the WATER project. Whilst this was a success both the UST scheme and the WATER project was limited in facilitating other PES opportunities either independently or levered in through other schemes.

Taking part in CPES

WRT takes part in programmes targeting PSE schemes for 10 years and wish to develop these mechanisms towards new enterprises in sites where PSE schemes exist and where not. WRT will benefit from the project by developing PES at 4 levels.

1. Pilot sites – A small >100km2 catchment picking specific high impact services and communities. This is split between an estuary-based site in South Devon, looking at bathing water, tourism, flooding and shellfisheries, and a lake-based site on the river Tamar, looking at drinking water and tourism. These will compare independent PES development (Estuary) in contrast to leveraged PES, using UST as the lever (Lake). Additionally, it will also look at the scale and location of the solution working from catchment scale interventions, at the source of the impact (e.g. catchment), to local interventions, at the point of impact (e.g. lake/estuary).
2. Catchments - Catchment scale and uses Upstream Thinking, one of the UK's leading PES examples to leverage additional PES support by looking at the layering of service provision with other buyers but capitalising on existing transaction costs.
3. Regional - Accepting that some buyers are interested in investing across the region but again minimising transaction costs by linking it to existing schemes as well as securing PES from regional buyers.
4. National – Information detailed within the project will be capitalized in relationships with Government bodies.

The people

• Laurence Couldrick is Chief Executive Officer
• Hazel Kendall is Head of Land Management and Project Manager Upstream Thinking & CPES

Its actions

WRT is lead partner for the WP T1 Implementation of PES for the overall project. This WP will deliver a replicable and sustainable PES Pilot Study implemented in the 6 catchment areas.

WRT will run a pilot that builds on this working with SW Lakes Trust, Devon Maritime Forum and South Devon AONB. WRT wish to build on past projects to understand where schemes can be levered due to a reduction in implementation costs.

International experience

The Westcountry Rivers Trust has lead three Interreg projects:

• Atlantic Arc IIIB – ASAP
• Atlantic Arc IVB – AARC
• France (Channel) England IVA – WATER

And been partner in 5:

•  Atlantic Arc IIIB – SALAR, WATERWAYSNET and INDICANG
• France  (Channel) England IVA – 3C)
• North West Europe IVB – COLLABOR8;
• 2 Seas VA – USAR,
• SPONGE2020

Profile

Name: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Abbreviation: CNRS
Country: FRANCE, Brittany, Ille-et-Vilaine, Rennes
Website: http://www.cnrs.fr/
Participants: Gérard Gruau, Sen Gu

The National Center for Scientific Research, or CNRS, is a public organization under the responsibility of the French Ministry of Education and Research. Founded in 1939 by governmental decree, the CNRS aims to:

• Evaluate and carry out all research capable of advancing knowledge and bringing social, cultural, and economic benefits for society.
• Contribute to the promotion and application of research results.
• Develop scientific information.
• Support research training.
• Participate in the analysis of the national and international scientific climate and its potential for evolution in order to develop a national policy.

CNRS has expertise in determining mechanisms of phosphorus (P) losses in agricultural catchments. We have skills in highlighting the relative roles of landscape structure, land use, soil characteristics, hydroclimatic conditions, etc. on the cycling of P in natural and constructed buffer zones, and on the risk of transformation of particulate P into highly bioavailable colloidal and dissolved P species.

Taking part in CPES

At least four benefits are expected by CNRS through its participation to the Lac au Duc catchment pilot study:

1. document the factors and processes that control phosphorus (P) emissions in this catchment;
2. develop a robust scientific framework, including a better knowledge of the processes and factors at the origin of the transformation of particulate P into dissolved P species to help to the implementation of efficient mitigation strategies to reduce P losses from this and other similar Brittany catchments;
3. develop monitoring and evaluation indicators able to take into account temporal and spatial changes in P speciation, insofar as these changes are critical in controlling surface water eutrophication;
4. collaborate in an international consortium comparing 6 case studies of mutual contribution and benefit.

The people

CNRS has administrative staff dedicated to help scientists to deal with legal, financial, reglementory issues they can have.

• Gérard Gruau is Research Director at CNRS. He is also President of the CRESEB, acting for the Lac au Duc pilot site.
• Sen Gu is post-PhD on Phosphorus tranfers.

Its actions

In CPES, we will be member of a laboratory consortium set up to implement PES mechanisms to improve quality of surface water within the Lac au Duc catchment, Brittany, France. In association with other laboratory members and also with local farmers and stakeholders, we will contribute to develop strategies to raise stakeholders’ awareness and willingness about the interest of PES as novel and efficient tools to improve water quality in this catchment. We will contribute to the design with stakeholders of acceptable mitigation strategies suitable to decrease P (and other nutrients) losses from soils, as well as to cost-benefit analysis of implementation of PES in the context of this pilot catchment. We will bring our expertise to locate P sources in the catchment and identify the factors that favor P losses. We will evaluate the capacity of natural and constructed buffer zones (e.g. riparian vegetated zones) to be used as cost efficient tools for the retention of P, the ultimate objective being the definition of efficient management strategies to be included into PES schemes.

CPES, through its ability to define, implement and evaluate the impact of locally defined, targeted PES schemes, will provide an unevaluable experimental platform to test the feasibility, efficiency, and sustainability of PES approach to improve water quality in an area where only top-down, partly unsuccessful nationally-based regulation measures have been so far applied.

International experience

As the biggest research organization in France, CNRS has decades experience in participating, coordinating and managing EU co-financed and other international projects (H2020, PCRD, INTERREG, LIFE, Private Fundations, International funds and organizations).

Recently, CNRS has been involved in one maritime INTERREG IVa programme, which has strengthened CNRS’s capacity to participate in an international, trans-channel project of high scientific value. This project, led by the University of Brighton in UK was the very successful Riskmanche project n° 4407/4163 completed 07.2015. The CNRS’s role concentrated on the development and evaluation of methods for the detection and enumeration of pathogen coliphages and species of bacteroides that infect fresh, transient and marine recreational waters. A huge range of outputs were delivered including biochemical tools for bathing and shellfish water conformity evaluation, soil and water assessment tools, graduated risk maps for French  and UK test sites, protocol for cross-border communication, and production of a bi-lingual film 'The Prediction of Risks'. The project has contributed to achieving the Channel-Manche region's sustainable development objective, by incorporating a sufficiently broad, trans-national vision of sustainability, while taking into account the need to anticipate climate change.

Profile

Name: Institut National de Recherche Agronomique
Abbreviation: INRA
Country: FRANCE, Brittany, Ille-et-Vilaine, Le Rheu
Website: http://www.inra.fr/
Participants: Rémi Dupas, Antoine Casquin, Josselin Canlet, Carole Ropars, Philippe Le Goffe

INRA is a national institute for research in food, nutrition, agriculture and the environment. NRA is Europe’s top agricultural research institute and the world’s number two centre for the agricultural sciences. Its scientists are working towards solutions for society’s major challenges.  

In the core of the first French farming region, the researches realized by the teams of Britanny-Normandy INRA Center are lead by the sustainability issues met in the agricultural sector and  agro-food chain on territories with high production density. Its strong scientific identity is founded on complementarity of the approaches and richness of its partnerships.

Taking part in CPES

CPES, through its ability to define, implement and evaluate the impact of locally defined, targeted PES schemes, will provide a unique experimental platform to test the feasibility, efficiency, and sustainability of PES approach to improve the conservation and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.

At least six benefits are expected by INRA from participating in the project:

1. document the factors and processes that control nutrients (e.g., phosphorus) emissions in agricultural landscape;
2. develop a robust scientific framework, including a better knowledge of the processes and factors controlling nutrients transfer in agricultural landscapes;
3. develop agro-hydrological models that include landscape effects in their simulation of nutrient transfer at the catchment scale;
4. costs and benefits estimates of the programs of eutrophication controls;
5. feasibility of a new environmental policy based on payments for ecosystem services;
6. collaborate in an international consortium comparing 6 case studies of mutual contribution and benefit.

The people

Two research units of INRA will be involved in the project:

1. UMR 1069, SAS (Soil Agro and hydroSystem) has expertise in analyzing nutrients source-mobilisation-delivery at the catchment scale.
2. UMR 1302, SMART (Structure, Market, Agricultural, Resources, Territories) has expertise in agricultural and environmental economics, in valuation of public goods, methodology of choice modeling.

• Rémi Dupas is Research Officer in Agronomy
• Patrick Durand, Research director in Hydrology and Biogeochemistry
• Antoine Casquin is PhD candidate
• Philippe Le Goffe is Professor
• Carole Ropars-Collet est Lecturer
• Josselin Canlet is Studies Engineer

Its actions

UMR SAS has developed methods and tools to identify the sources of nutrients in agricultural landscape and model the effect of remediation methods to reduce nutrient (e.g., phosphorus) transfer. These methods and tools will be used in the project to predict the evolution of the ecological status of Lac au Duc after implementation of PES.

UMR SMART has an expertise on the various politics to manage the environmental problems such as market-based instruments, and has developed expertise on a new environmental policy based on payments for ecosystem services

International experience

Since 2004, INRA has developed a strategy to increase coordination and participation in European projects. Support teams including European project managers, contract office and financial office have been set up. Today, nearly 30% of INRA researchers (among 750 researchers) are involved in European projects, including:

• Project FP7 SOLIBAM – 2010-2014: lead partner of the 5.9m€ project “Strategies for organic and low-input integrated breeding and management”. Novel breeding approaches to improve the performance, quality and sustainability of crops adapted to organic and low-input systems.
• Project FP7 CANTOGETHER – 2012-2015: lead partner of the 2.9m€ project “Crops and ANimals TOGETHER”. Design of sustainable mixed (crop, animal) farming systems.
• Interreg Channel IVA project MorFish – 2012-2015: partner in a 2.8m€ project. Monitoring and management of migratory fish in rivers of Brittany, Normandy and Dorest UK.
• H2020 project Feed-a-Gene – 2015-2020: lead partner of the 8.9m€ project “Adapting the feed, the animal and the feeding techniques to improve the efficiency and sustainability of monogastric livestock production systems”. Reduce environmental impact of monogastric livestock production systems.
• H2020 project DIVERSIFOOD – 2015-2019: lead partner of the 3.4m€ project “Embedding crop diversity and networking for local high quality food systems”. Strengthen “food culture” to improve economic viability of local chains resulting in a greater diversity of produce with a cultural identity.

Profile

Name: University of Rennes 1 - Ecobio Laboratory
Abbreviation: UR1
Country: FRANCE, Britanny, Ille-et-Vilaine, Rennes
Website: http://www.univ-rennes1.fr/
Participants: Claudia Wiegand, Luc Brient, Morgane Le Moal

Implementation research is a key priority at the Université de Rennes 1; a distinctive mark which brings the five-century-old University international and business renown. As a pioneer in knowledge, the Université de Rennes 1 is a leader in lifelong learning. This innovative role involves major responsibilities towards the general public and makes the Université de Rennes 1 a key player in the region’s socio-economic and cultural development.

The UR1 provides expertise in cyanobacteria monitoring including toxin measurement, effects and detoxification in various organisms, and pilot studies in bioremediation.The UMR ECOBIO covers all areas of ecology: evolutionary ecology, behavioral ecology, community ecology, functional ecology and landscape ecology. The UMR ECOBIO analyzes the dynamics of biodiversity and the functioning of continental ecosystems in the face of global changes underway (demographic growth, climatic disturbances, land uses) with a view to sustainable development (sober management of natural resources, conservation, .. .).

Taking part in CPES

CPES through its ability to define, implement and evaluate the impact of targeted PES schemes, will provide the possibility to test the feasibility, efficiency, and sustainability of a PES approach to improve water quality, instead of top-down regulations.

UR1 will benefit from participating CPES by

1. develop and implement scientifically measures to evidence the reduction of nutrient input to the Lac au Duc, and the restoration of the lake ecosystem functions,
2. select, test, implement and valuate curative actions  for the diminishing of cyanobacterial blooms,
3. widening the knowledge about efficacy, possible side effects to non target organisms, local specificity and limits of several curative strategies,
4. document the decreasing need of curative actions thus iterative costs, ensuring the lake’s availability for the different users (drinking water, tourism, leisure and ecosystem function).

The people

The ECOBIO UMR (159 members) brings together research professors, CNRS researchers, BIATSS staff from the University of Rennes 1 and CNRS IT staff.

• Claudia Wiegand is Professor
• Luc Brient is Studies Engineer
• Morgane Le Moal is PhD Candidate
• Emilien Mineaud, studies engineer

Its actions

In CPES, the UR1 is part of a consortium for the application of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a mechanism to improve the surface water quality within the Lac au Duc. In association with other consortium members and also with local farmers and stakeholders, we will contribute to develop strategies to raise stakeholders’ awareness and willingness about PES as novel and efficient tools to sustainably improve water quality, starting in the catchment. UR1 will contribute to the design with

1. assessing and monitoring (including the use of drones) the ecological state of the lake, cyanobacteria and their toxins,
2. selecting, scientific guiding and evaluating of curative strategies, monitor their seasonal implementation and
3. develop measures for valuation in terms of efficacy, safety and cost-benefits.

International experience

Recently, the UR1 has been involved in the EU-CYANOCOST network of experts in cyanobacteria, their toxins and human and environmental health impact due to exposure in the ecosystem respectively via drinking water, aquaculture and recreation. CYANOCOST widens awareness, spreads relevant technical competence, and shares risk management expertise, to which University Rennes1 contributed its long-standing experience with cyanobacterial bloom dynamics, toxin analysis, causes and consequences for environmental and human health.

Moreover, UR1, in particular the UMR ECOBIO, where this project will be allocated, has partcipated in FP7 projects (e.g. PEOPLE IEF Climland, PCRD SUSTAIN SNOWMAN, CORORMAN) in PEOPLE (IOF Cyanomic, CIG Genomerge), and other EU research networks (IRSES Aphidweb, INTERACT, ITN INTERFACES, PICS AntarctBiodiv et Biodiversa Farmland) and in H2020 projects, e.g. SOILMAN.

Profile

Name: Southern Water Services
Abbreviation : SW
Country: ROYAUME-UNI, West Sussex, Worthing
Website: http://www.southernwater.co.uk/
Participants: Johnathan Burke, Kate Rice, Christopher Manning, Alastair Stewart

Southern Water is the private utility company responsible for the public wastewater collection and treatment in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent, and for the public water supply and distribution in approximately half of this area.

Southern Water abstract surface water from the River Rother which has water quality issues, primarily sediment loading. This impacts on water treatment as they have to treat and dispose of suspended sediment. Siltation associated with Hardham weir also restricts their ability to physically abstract from the Rother. There are potential capital works (dredging) that they could implement to mitigate this issue but they are keen to explore catchment management measures to manage issues at source.

Taking part in CPES

The project will enable us to work with a range of stakeholders to identify ecosystem services and understand wider catchment benefits (e.g. flood alleviation, carbon capture, water purification etc).

Southern Water has not used PES as a mechanism for achieving our business and customers’ needs before. The cost benefit outcome analysis from this project will inform our future business and water resource management plan investment decisions. Targeting sediment loading through this scheme may have additional impacts upon water quality as pesticides and nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorous) tend to be associated with sediment loading of watercourses. This would benefit the company through reduced treatment costs and offset investment in additional treatment capability. Monitoring these additional impacts/benefits will feed into the cost benefit approach and align with an Integrated Water Cycle Management approach we are developing for the River Rother.

In addition, SW envisage the participation in the scheme delivering the following benefits to Southern Water:

• Assess and cost PES vs 'traditional interventions to identify whether PES is more economic.
• Support the development of an enabling environment, management and monitoring frameworks and legal instruments
• Achieving our WFD commitments and water resource needs
• Secure sustainable investment (outside our five year funding cycle)
• Develop best practice to inform use of PES across our region (other drivers include pesticides, nitrates, phosphate and flooding)
• Support customers and wider stakeholder views on acceptability of PES

The people

• Jonny BURKE is Environment Strategic Planning Manager
• Kate RICE is Catchment Strategy Manager

Its actions

Southern Water will deliver and lead on the following objectives for the Rother River catchment:

• Develop and implement an effective, transparent PES mechanism in conjunction with CPES partnership
• Engage with landowners to raise awareness around PES and how they can engage in development and operation
• Research and design suitable measures to improve water quality in conjunction with stakeholders
• Environmental monitoring and research: - establish a baseline to measure improvements against – measure quantifiable impacts of measures to inform future projects – establish a robust catchment monitoring network Assess the benefits of the PES approach vs traditional interventions to assess the economic case for adopting PES
• Establish best practice principles which can be applied to other locations

International experience

Southern Water Services have not been involved with a EU co-financed project before

Profile

Name: Environment Agency
Abbreviation: EA
Country: UNITED-KINGDOM, West Sussex, Worthing
Website: http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency
Participants: Gareth Williams, Peter Taylor

The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Responsibilities in England relate to: protection and enhancement of the environment; climate change; water quality; water resources; supporting sustainable development; increasing the resilience of people, property and businesses to flooding and coastal erosion.

We are the lead competent authority for implementing the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in England. WFD aims to improve all waterbodies to at least Good Ecological Status/Potential (GES/P):

• improve and protect inland and coastal waters
• drive wiser, sustainable use of water as a natural resource
• create better habitats for wildlife that lives in and around water
• create a better quality of life for everyone

One of the biggest limiting factors, preventing waterbodies from reaching GES/P in West Sussex, England, and favourable condition of the Solent Maritime Special Areas of Conservation, is high Nitrate levels from diffuse pollution. High Nitrate levels also impact groundwater and the security of clean drinking water supplies.

Taking part in CPES

The Environment Agency will benefit as the project will help meet the objectives of the WFD, as well as deliver actions within the Western Rother Surface Water Drinking Water Protection Area (which supports a Key Performance Indicator). The Environment Agency has supported numerous actions to tackle diffuse pollution in the Western Rother and its impact throughout the whole catchment. However, more novel and innovative solutions and are required, such as the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) trail, to meet the demands of the WFD. The market approach offered by PES supports the organisation’s corporate ambition of helping to create a healthy environment with which benefits both people and the economy.

Further benefits will include cross border networking leading to better appreciation of PES approaches and its applicability in different areas, skills transfer, trialing new techniques, improved knowledge-based decision making and working with academic institutions to understand constraints and difficulties in moving from research development to operational implementation.

The people

• Jackie Mellan is Greater Solent Project Manager
• Peter Taylor is Catchment coordinator
• Gareth Williams is Catchment coordinator

Its actions

The Environment Agency has been involved in a lot of work within the Western Rother, one of the pilot project areas, to address sediment and nutrient run-off. This includes gathering and analyzing evidence, nutrient apportionment modelling (SAGIS) and undertaking cost benefit assements on improvement actions. The organization has a lot of experience at working with land owners both in regulatory and advisory roles to promote the uptake of best practice in addressing diffuse pollution.

The organisation will provide a supporting role within the project, inputting technical expertise, data and evidence as required. There will be a particular focus on quanitifying the benefits of measures installed and the subsquent impact on waterbody status, as classified under the WFD.

International experience

The EA has extensive expertise in participating in European Projects.

• Cycleau- Interreg IIIB NW Europe: lead partner in a project for raising awareness and combating point source and run off pollution in rivers and estuaries in Devon
• Greening Regional Development Programmes (GRDP) Interreg III NW Europe: lead partner in a project developing guidance on integrating sustainable development principle in European funded projects.
• Coastal Communities 2150 & Beyond (CC2150) Interreg IVA 2 Seas: lead partner in a project on South East coast - working with public sector stakeholders to develop an integrated vision for future coastal management in response to climate change induced sea level rise
• Living with a Changing Coast (Licco) Interreg IVA FCE: Lead partner in working with communities and stakeholders in Exe Estuary and Poole Harbour to unpack Coastal Strategies and to explore threats and opportunities anticipated / resulting from climate change induced sea level rise

The EA have also been non lead partners in the following projects:

• Interreg IVA FCE - Aquamanche & Riskmanche - sharing best practice on the analysis of marine algal blooms
• Interreg IVA FCE - WATER - Working with landowners to reduce run off improve WFD compliance
• Interreg IVB N Sea Region - Living North Seas (LNS) Fish migration
• Interreg IVB N Sea Region – TIDE - Tidal River Development
• Interreg IVB NW Europe - ALFA
• Interreg IVB NW Europe - COLLABOR8 improving river beats

Profile

Name: Sara Hernandez Consulting LTD
Abbreviation: SHC
Country: FRANCE, Île de France, Paris
Website: http://sarahernandezconsulting.com/
Participants: Sara Hernandez, Marc-Antoine Blanchet, Fanny Claise

Sara Hernandez consulting Limited was established in 2016 by Sara Hernandez, PhD in Environmental Economics. It is an independent consulting and research & development (R&D) firm in the transition of economic and organizational models towards green growth. It assists public sector actors (local authorities, public administration, NGOs) as well as private sector actors (SMEs, VSEs) in their transition towards an economy that integrates environmental and social issues. It is intended to participate in research programs in its areas of expertise.

Its areas of intervention are related to the economics of biodiversity, water and adaptation to climate change as well as the circular economy and innovative business and organizational models; in addition, operational work is proposed in the design and implementation of market-based instruments and innovative financing mechanisms (payment for environmental services, water markets, offset mechanisms, responsible finance).

SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING's approach is to ″co-construct″ collectively impact projects on rural, urban territories, or at the interface between the two. The purpose is to provide a technical expertise to different stakeholders for the emergence organizational models (circular economy and industrial ecology, social innovation models) at the local or regional level. The technical assistance includes also the mobilization of innovative financing such as those related to impact investment or socially responsible funds.

SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING has strong add-value by its interventions at the international level that led to the adoption of innovative organizational model: a collaborative network of experts.

Taking part in CPES (Channel Payments for Ecosystem Services)

SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING brings economic expertise associated with watershed management, including economic and environmental valuation techniques, environmental impact assessment, cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis, cost recovery and water pricing.

Participation in the CPES project increases the impact of the practice by providing practical and accurate solutions in the context of watershed management and land use for the preservation of water bodies.

From the point of view of the organization of our expertise, all SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING consultants are environmental economists and some have a PhD and/or are doctoral students.

The people

• Sara Hernandez, PhD in Environmental Economics, is the Managing Director. The project benefits from her more than 25 years of professional experience in economic analysis applied to global environmental issues. She has designed and implemented several "payments for environmental services" in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Marc-Antoine Blanchet is an agricultural engineer specializing in environmental economics. He developed the methodological approach for evaluating the benefits of changing practices (cost-benefit analysis).
• Fanny Claise is doing her PhD as a consultant on the Normandy sites of the CPES project in the application of experimental and behavioral economics tools to apply auction systems in the elucidation of willingness to pay and willingness to receive in PES.
• Isabelle Di Blasio, a lawyer specialized in environmental law, was in charge of the legal analyses associated with PES financial arrangements and PES contractual terms.
• Sophia Lao, environmental and energy economist, worked on the analysis of the economic opportunities of the carbon market associated with PES water.
• Marc Davenne, environmental engineer, worked on carbon markets and in particular on the determinants of supply and demand to be associated with the PES.
• Emilian Nadau, environmental and energy economist, worked on water pricing and its impact on the sustainability of PES.
• Zimo Lian, specialist in Digital Marketing and Communication is in support of the communication tools’ design for the WP T2.

SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING has developed collaborations with other consultancies: AGROTRANSFERT in particular for the estimation of carbon credits associated with PES beneficiary plots.

Their actions

SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING is the WP (Working package) T2 on Policy Framework for the whole CPES project. She is in charge of the WP Management and WP Policies for the two pilot projects in Normandy (the Tremblay-Omonville River basin managed by SERPN and the Vigne river basin managed by Eau de Paris).

In the framework of the WP T1 PES implementation, SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING is an integral part of the scientific coordination for the three pilot studies in France and is in particular involved in the research activities of the pilot studies in Normandy.

In addition, Sara Hernandez, who is bilingual, facilitates the overall technical coordination of the PEMS program in collaboration with the University of Chichester.

International experience

SARA HERNANDEZ CONSULTING has participated in the following programs:

• GIZ - German Cooperation: Expertise in the analysis of the economics of land degradation. Comparative analysis between the cost of inaction and the net benefits of good land management (between 2019-2022).
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) - 2018 - Expertise for the implementation of an incentive mechanism for the agroecological transition of small and medium agricultural producers in North Tahiti.
• UNDP - COLOMBIA - 2016: International consultant for the final evaluation of the Global Environment Facility project on the design and implementation of a national system of marine protected areas in Colombia.
• MEDPAN - 2015: Analysis of financing needs related to effective management of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean.
• CIFOR - 2014: Economic value of bushmeat marketing and poverty reduction in Amazonas (Três Fronteiras Region).
• ICF-GHK: Management of projects commissioned by the European Commission on impact assessment of different policy options for water reuse and by the Convention on Biological Diversity on the economic valuation of the benefits of achieving the Aichi targets in the LAC region.
• Responsible for leading the negotiations on Access and Benefit Sharing from the use of genetic resources of the CBD at national level and also responsible for the coordination of the EU position on this issue during the French EU Presidency of Nicolas Zarckozy.
• GEF-World Bank-Humboldt Institute Project on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the Andean Region (Colombia): design, management and implementation of incentive-based projects.

Profile

Name: Roumois et du Plateau de Neubourg Water Syndicate
Abbreviation: SERPN
Country: FRANCE, Normandy, Le Thuit de l'Oison
Site internet : http://serpn.com/
Participants : Martine Gratecap, Camille Brindel, Julie Leboulenger

The Syndicat d'Eau du Roumois et du Plateau du Neubourg (S.E.R.P.N.) is a public institution for inter-municipal cooperation (EPCI) led by the delegates of the 100 member municipalities. Since the 1st of January 2009, the SERPN ensures the production and distribution of drinking water for the subscribers of its 100 member municipalities. The SERPN manages 32,384 subscribers on more than 1,500 km of network and a total volume of water consumed of more than 3,300,000 m3 per year (more than 9,000 m3 per day).

The SERPN comes from the merger of 11 former unions in 2009. The SERPN operates 13 pumping stations (capture or drilling) on ​​a network of 1483 km of pipelines to supply about 72,000 users. The SERPN must maintain a network in good condition, for this it invests in network renewal works. To produce and distribute quality water, the SERPN acts for the protection of the water resource and maintenance of many infrastructures (water towers, production stations, etc.)

Two of the SERPN's catchments are protected under the Grenelle de l'Environnement: catchment of Varras at Mauny and the catchment of Forrières d'Omonville at Tremblay Omonville.

The SERPN is involved in the CPES project as part of its resource protection strategy. Since 2013, farmer support has been offered for the Tremblay Omonville catchment pond, where agriculture accounts for 95% of the total area of ​​the BAC. In this territory with a strong problematic nitrates, the setting up of covers inter-cultures is encouraged. Today, based on the voluntarism of the farmers of the territory, the SERPN wishes to find levers to generalize the approach. After responding to a call for projects from the Seine Normandy Water Agency, the SERPN joined the Interreg project.

Profile

Name: Eau de Paris
Abbreviation: EDP
Country: FRANCE, Île de France, Paris
Website: http://www.eaudeparis.fr/
Participants: Manon Zakeossian, Matthieu Cosmano, Antoine Szadeczki, Marion Pavy

First public water company in France, Eau de Paris delivers daily to its 3 million users water of excellent quality, at the fairest price. Capture, treatment, distribution, customer relations: Eau de Paris' 900 employees work at every stage of the water cycle for an ever more efficient and innovative public service. Committed to the protection of water, biodiversity and climate, Eau de Paris manages its resources and heritage sustainably, in collaboration with local partners.

Eau de Paris has, for example, adopted a strategy for protecting water resources, with the aim of reconciling long-term catchment areas with water protection and human activities (download here).

Eau de Paris has about 240 000ha catchment areas including 160 000ha of agricultural land, with shared challenges of maintaining sustainable agriculture and preservation of water resources. Eau de Paris thus implements several levers of technical support, financial support, land management and structuring of sectors to encourage the evolution of agricultural systems towards less intensive nutriment-using practices and guaranteeing long-term protection of the water resource.

Take part in CPES

On catchment areas, Eau de Paris identifies, proposes and implements technical and financial support to encourage sustainable change in agricultural practices. Eau de Paris must respect the rules governed by the European Union to pay aid to farmers, like any public body. After an experience of about ten years in the implementation of Agri-Environmental Measures and Bio Aid financed by Europe, the State and the Water Agency, Eau de Paris wishes to explore new forms of financial support and is particularly interested in the issue of payments for environmental services. The catchment area of the Vine springs located in Normandy and in the Center region has in this context been proposed among the pilot sites of the Interreg CPES program.

The people

Within Eau de Paris, the protection of the resource and biodiversity service is in charge of implementing the protection strategy of the water resource on Eau de Paris catchments areas. On the Vine Springs catchment area, an Agriculture and Territory Project Manager is responsible for implementing this strategy, relying on local stakeholders.

Actions

Actions on catchment areas combine different axes: continuous improvement of knowledge; support for the evolution of agricultural practices with the support of local actors; identification and implementation of land-based management solutions to limit the most risky transfers of surface water to groundwater; reduction of all other risks of contamination with the actors concerned (communities, industries, inhabitants ...)

International experience

Eau de Paris is associated with various international meetings, such as the World Water Forum, to promote the model of the public water company in Paris, participate in debates and support a sustainable vision of the management of the water resource. Co-founder of Aqua publica europa, she shares these issues on a European scale. The UN awarded Eau de Paris in 2017 the price of public services in the category "Promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in public services".

Profile

Name: Agence de l'Eau Seine Normandie
Abbreviation: AESN
Country: FRANCE, Île de France, Nanterre
Website: http://www.eau-seine-normandie.fr/
Participants: Jérôme Ratiarson, Maylis Castagnet, Sophie Durandeau, Agnes Carlier, Delphine Jacono

• The administrative headquarters is located in Nanterre.
• Six territorial directorates where communities, industrialists and farmers can find adequate technical expertise close to home.
• In addition, a service Littoral and Sea deals with the problems of the Norman littoral.