Payments For Ecosystem Services (PES) in the Cotswold

Catchment

Chris Short, CCRI, University of Gloucestershire

Development of PES partnership

• Grew from Upper Thames Pilot Catchment• Identify PES assets within the catchment (ILD)

o People (the sellers and beneficiaries)o Link existing data and programmes (Defra pilot)o Partnership approach to development o Shared problem solving

Who is involved

• Sellers – farmers involved at start, data input• Beneficiaries/Buyers• Private sector (Thames Water, Ecotricity)• Local communities (develop and benefit from)• Public Sector (EA and NE)

• Facilitators – making links, develop framework• ‘Many to many’ PES

What is ‘in’ the PES framework

• Water Quality (drinking water and WFD)• Community services (flood, amenity, others)• Energy production with benefits (Ecotricity)• Water flow & biodiversity (EA, NE, communitys)• Food production/protected landscape/tourism• Layering of PES (via restoration of catchment)

Achieved by• PES securing appropriate farming practice – Selection and location of crops– Rotation and pest management– Combined food and energy– Soil management for PES

• Secure enough for Buyers?• Viable for Sellers?

Triggers

• WFD failings• Concern about

Metaldehyde levels winter 12/13

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Social Learning Approach

Collins & Ison 2009

Concerted action• By farmer on farm– Nitrate, Phosphate and

Ammonia + field diary

• By TW/UWE– Metaldehyde, pesticides

• By CSF – organic matter• Joint discussion of data• Agree way forward– management options– knowledge gaps

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Summary of PES Approach

• Partnership approach (Phase 1)– Part of the solution, in at the start

• Multiple services under one (layered) PES • Sellers and Buyers involved in developing• Demonstration events & knowledge exchange• Co-production of options• Development of PES framework (Phase 2)• Phase 3 onwards to deal with implementation

Thank you

cshort@glos.ac.uk