Determining the Socio-economic Implications of Different Land Management Policies in YW's Catchments
Funding body: Yorkshire Water
Amount: £99,867
Duration: 2007-2008
Summary
A number of agricultural and environmental policies have changed recently; and these changes may lead to changes in farmer practices, which could have particular implications for YW if its tenant farmers or their non-tenant neighbours change the nature of their activities significantly or even give up farming altogether. This project helps Yorkshire Water understand how recent policy changes are likely to affect behaviour so that YW can best work with its tenants and other land managers to deliver outcomes that are desirable for all stakeholders and assist with Water Framework Directive compliance. These objectives will be achieved by combining socio-economic and biophysical models to produce an integrated understanding of how policies and incentives for land management act within the framework of farmers' own business objectives to influence farmers' land use decisions, and ultimately the water quality in YWs upland catchments. This understanding will then be applied to identify cost effective policies and incentives through which YW could improve raw water quality by influencing and adjusting the land management decisions of its tenant farmers. The models are equally applicable to the analysis of the influence of EU and national government policies on land use behaviour of upland farmers as well as broader social and environmental consequences. This research will help inform the development of socially and environmentally responsible policies for water quality management.