Managing borderlands presentation

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Managing Borderlands: Engaging stakeholder communities in decisions concerning sustainable flood

management.

10/2/2011 Prof. Chris J Spray

Cross Boundary

Partnerships

IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of

UNESCO

Slide | 2

Background

• UK and devolved governments have recognised the need to develop co-operative land and flood risk management strategies in order to build resilience required to mitigate the uncertain impacts of climatic, economic and societal changes

• Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 will require development of a better science evidence base for policy-making and increased stakeholder participation.

• Environmental management needs to develop new methodologies that integrate a diverse collection of stakeholders, with a diverse (often conflicting) collection of expertise, practices and contested knowledge.


UNESCO

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SNIFFER Flood Risk Management Conference – Edinburgh 10th February 2011

Tweed research: Dundee University & partners

Eddleston Water:

• Eddleston Water scoping study

• Eddleston Water restoration study

• Managing Borderlands (RELU project)

• Scottish Universities Insight Institute

Gatekeepers of participatory management

Nicole Archer, Tom Ball, Andrew Black, Mike Bonell, Brian Cook, Josselin Rouillard, Chris Spray, Alan Werritty

Newcastle University

SNH

York UniversityDurham University

Cbec Ltd

NFU(S)

Forest Research

Tweed Foundation

Environment Agency


UNESCO

Slide | 4

• Improvement to river structure & habitats - failing

good status (WFD) - due mainly to

hydromorphological alterations

• potential contribution of “Natural” Flood

Management techniques – flood history

• and potential for multiple benefits & ecosystem

services (fisheries, biodiversity, diffuse pollution)

A total Catchment Approach, not just 2 Main drivers

•Output Recommendations:

• Plans for physical restoration of channel and

floodplain

• Proposals for interventions to achieve flood risk

reductions

• Value for money and priorities for action

• Stakeholder engagement

• Detailed monitoring

Eddleston Water Restoration Scoping study (July 2010)


UNESCO

Slide | 5

Characterisation and current status:landscapes, habitats, ecology.

Sources

Pathways


UNESCO

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Characterisation and current status: topography

Eddleston Water:

• a south-flowing tributary of Tweed draining 69 km2

• fractured greywackes mantled with highly variable covers of till, fluvio-glacial outwash and peat

• annual precipitation: 850 mm (valley floor)-1500 mm (summits)

• steeper slopes east of main stem => flashy runoff: gentler slopes west of main stem => delayed flow. QMED c. 23 m3s-1 , Q10 c. 38 m3s-1

• ideal exemplar of “source-pathway-receptor” flood risk management model


UNESCO

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Characterisation and current status:hydromorphology and channelisation

Main stem sinuous c.1750: but extensively channelised by 1811

Minimal recovery since and main reason for ‘poor’ WFD status because of current hydromorphology

Roy Map


UNESCO

Slide | 8

Characterisation and current status: flood risk

Source: JBA Consulting 2008

Scottish Borders Council identifies 589 properties within SEPA’s 1:200 year flood envelope.

Peebles flooded every 5-10 years.

Currently no structural defences, only flood warning scheme.

Annual flood Return Discharge

risk probability period (yrs) (m3s-1)

QMED 2 22.8

0.2 15 31.7

0.1 10 38.1

0.05 20 47.1

0.02 50 54.8

0.01 100 63.5

0.005 200 73.2


UNESCO

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Characterisation and current status: summary

• fails to achieve WFD ‘good’ status – because of ‘poor’ hydromorphology

• channelised reaches of main stem poor habitat (poor mix channel types, lack riparian vegetation)

• highest runoff from eastern tributaries and rapid increase in downstream bankfull discharge

• ideal exemplar for flood risk management measures (source-pathway-receptor) no structural defences

Proposed measures: overall aim... “to restore river and its whole catchment whilst at the same time promoting livelihoods of those who derive income from the sustainable management of farms, forests and fishery”:

• improved physical habitat;

• reduction in flood risk;

whilst promoting sustainable management of farms, fisheries and forestry, and recreational opportunities

Km


UNESCO

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Proposed measures: locations and types

Selected groups of measures:

A: breach/set back embankments, new fence margins, riparian woodland, wet woodland, large woody debris

C: re-meander channel, riparian woodland

L: Reduced stocking density, tributary woodland, floodplain forest

N: create ponds, wetlands, riparian woodland block ditches, large woody debris


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Extensive Groundwater monitoring with BGS

Planting up hillsides & river banks

Working with Forestry Commission Scotland

Natural flood management: -

Influencing “sources” by intervention in the upper catchment and hill slopes


UNESCO

Slide | 12

Breach in embankments could permit temporary flood storage on left bank during high flow events.

Re-meandering opportunities.

Natural flood management: Influencing “pathways” by interventions in the

floodplain itself

Intensive monitoring programme


UNESCO

Slide | 13

Interviews with key stakeholders:

• Organisations - Scottish Govt, SEPA, Tweed Forum, Scottish Borders Council, SNH, Tweed Foundation, Scottish Water, NFU(Scotland), Scottish Wildlife Trust, Country Landowners Business Association.

• Interviews with five landowners (three floodplain and two upland farmers) middle-aged, male, long-term landowners in the valley (>30 years) with several sources of income.

Socio-economic Opportunities, Constraints and Barriers


UNESCO

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Opportunities, constraints and barriers: institutional

• Legal constraints: EC Environmental regulation (Water Framework Directive and Habitats Directives) operation of statutory duties by SEPA and SNH;

• Land use policy: high quality agricultural land on floodplains for food or flood control? Delivery of agri-environmental schemes over longer time spans (eg planting woodlands);

• Land tenure: contrasting planning horizons for tenant farmers, owner-occupiers and large estates – value of multiple benefit measures (eg Coed Cymru project in Central Wales);

• Quality of science: nature of science evidence base crucial in persuading land managers;


UNESCO

Slide | 15

Opportunities, constraints and barriers: farmers

• understand aspirations and land tenure systems of the farming community – a real opportunity and a threat;

• develop trust and a common vision for aims of the restoration programme;

• role of an intermediary, independent stakeholder-led organisation, with technical and social support networks (Tweed Forum highly valued);


UNESCO

Slide | 16

Opportunities, constraints and barriers: farmers

• local expert knowledge must be factored in to any planning;

• financial incentives must be set at the right level – to sustain farm units and to attract engagement;

• long-term, guaranteed contractual arrangements to deliver focused outcomes;

• simplicity in any contractual arrangements.


UNESCO

Slide | 17

16/02/2011 17

Managing Borderlands: – RELU project (Lead Newcastle University)

Linking the Eddleston Water and the Wooler Water

Examining how local communities can become more resilient and

adaptive to flooding in the context of the “borders” that exist between

institutions, between different knowledges (and access to knowledge) and

different stakeholders in England and Scotland, faced by challenges of

climate change


UNESCO

Slide | 18

Managing Borderlands:

• Professional & Stakeholder knowledge• Responsible Agencies in England & Scotland• Nations that share the Tweed

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Tweed.tributaries.jpg


UNESCO

Slide | 19

Length: 156 kms Catchment: 5,000 sq km

Scotland (84%): England (16%) Mainly agricultural & valley townsTweed


UNESCO

Slide | 20

Partners: RELU Programme 2 (ESRC)

Newcastle University: Liz Oughton (lead), Andrew Donaldson, Dave Passmore, Terry Carroll

Durham University: Louise Bracken

York University: John Forrester, Steve Cinderby

Dundee University: Chris Spray, Brian Cook

Tweed Forum: Nicola Bissett

Skills cover social sciences, flood hydrology, GIS, participatory mapping, knowledge exchange, governance, wetland ecology, and stakeholder engagement


UNESCO

Slide | 21

Building on existing work of Tweed Forum and partners

Bringing people together around Flood Risk Management issues:

• Conflict resolution and future scenario planning

• Sustainable Flood Risk Management;

• Research, demonstrations, pilots and action

Till Wetland Restoration Project Bowmont/Glen Flood management


UNESCO

Slide | 22

Project Objectives

analyse existing research, and how data is used (or lost) within stakeholder groups, and relevant management systems

•Incorporate local knowledges into land management strategies

Facilitate knowledge exchange between different groups, agencies and across national borders

Use Q methodology to explore options for adaptive management in the face of increasing uncertainty

Evaluate the effect of social learning in and through the project from feedback by partners


UNESCO

Slide | 23

Timescales:

• Project started September 2010 –

14 month period

• Run as four inter-linked work packages, north and south of the Border (Eddleston and Wooler Waters)

• Initial team launch meeting in Newcastle - August 2010• Team site visit to Eddleston Water - Sept 2010• Creation of knowledge databases -Oct 2010 – Feb 2011• Final Report to RELU November 2011


UNESCO

Slide | 24

Background – Eddleston Water

Tweed catchment landscape includes moorland, forestry, upland livestock grazing and arable farming

Salmon, trout fisheries and

tourism are important to the

economy

Administrative difficulties of

managing a cross-border river

Catchment is subject to complex environmental designations and rural development regimes that make integrated management difficult.


UNESCO

Slide | 25

Background - Wooler Water

Parts of the catchment suffered severe flooding in 2008 and 2009

Climate change projections suggest more severe weather in the future.

There is a need to increase the flood resilience of the region.


UNESCO

Slide | 26

Science-based estimates of flood extent


UNESCO

Slide | 27

Methods

Overall approach is to help stakeholders refine the problem of flooding from different perspectives and experiences (I.e. not just the “science-based” estimates and impacts)

Knowledge exchange will be facilitated through the Tweed Forum (the only organisation working across the border to establish a network between English and Scottish stakeholders)


UNESCO

Slide | 28

Methods

The project is organised in four related work packages:

WP1: Interrogating existing knowledges

Critical analysis of the local evidence base for adaptive flood risk management

Expert interviews

• Creation of data inventories, and analysis of accessibility to stakeholders


UNESCO

Slide | 29

Methods

WP2: Capturing the diversity in ways of building flood resilience

Q methodology

Informed by WP1 analysis

Uses a mix of quantitative and qualitative techniques to study the range of subjective positions on a topic

Participatory GIS mapping of wider local knowledge


UNESCO

Slide | 30

Methods

WP3: Producing strategies for building resilience in land management

Return to the expert stakeholders with results of Q methodology and participatory mapping

Aim to identify preferred land management strategies, informed now by a much wider network of interests and breadth of knowledge


UNESCO

Slide | 31

Methods

WP4: Learning and evaluation

Elucidate and record expert stakeholder learning

Record social learning taking place within the Managing Borderlands project team (analysis of researcher diaries)


UNESCO

Slide | 32

Outputs

• An assessment of impacts of Scottish

and English policies and practices on

Border communities

• Recommendations concerning policies

that stakeholders, managers, and agencies

desire or oppose

• Identification of local data needs and

perspectives relative to Scottish and

English governance

• Comparison of concerns between diverse

stakeholder groups and interested parties

• Workshops, research papers and

dissemination via Tweed Forum, RELU,

UNESCO HELP Basin network and other

stakeholder networks


UNESCO

Slide | 33

Learning across International boundaries

Scottish Universities Insight Institute

Gatekeepers of Participatory Management

Dundee University and St. Andrews University, with Tweed Forum

Workshops and Field Visits

May 2011, and subsequent

Motueka River Basin, New Zealand

Fraser Basin, Canada

Tweed, Scotland/England

Dee, Scotland

Catchment NGOs and their role

interfacing between government and

society in integrated water resource

management

Managing borderlands presentation

Technology

Transcript of Managing borderlands presentation