Evaluating the impact of integrated local delivery on enhancing ecosystem services resilience

Evaluating the impact of integrated local delivery on

enhancing ecosystem services resilience

Chris Short, Janet Dwyer (CCRI) & Jenny Phelps (FWAG)

Outline

• Introduce WILD project & link to nexus• Outline approach: reporting & governance• Issues of evaluation and ‘proof of concept’• Implications for institutions & policy• Some concluding thoughts

WILD project

• Water and Integrated Local Delivery– in area of 25,000 ha (Cotswolds & Swindon)

• Improvements to rivers through partnership• Key driver WFD and initial EA funding• Farmers, local communities & agencies• Range of activity, linked to lead partner• Led by FWAG, CCRI role to evaluate

Reporting & Governance

• ILD links the local to strategic objectives– makes ‘the local’ relevant to the govt agency– brings ‘a face’ from the agency at local level

• Joining up within project– Reporting and recording

• Getting message out across project area

Evaluation & proof of concept

• Social-ecological system resilience (Biggs et al 2012)

• Critical friend • Proof of concept

– Via CBA• Need SES too

Key findings:

• Evidence of Engagement, Communication, Knowledge, Consistency & Trust

• Multi-layer challenges tackled at local level• Need facilitator & agency to ‘stand-back’• Clear evidence of increased understanding

– Up & down stream impacts, role of soil etc.

Implications for institutions & policy

• The nexus of water issues in the EA– WFD, flooding, biodiversity, planning …

• Farmers cautiously emerging from isolation• Local authorities challenged by process• Communities embrace opportunity• Private funding sources cautiously engaged

Concluding thoughts

• UK ‘important arena’ for nexus as ‘tool for action’ (Cairns & Krzywoszynska 2016)

• Need a ‘gathering’ of nexus projects?• Transferability tricky as cases bespoke

– Framework not a blueprint or model• A common framework for comparisons• Compare evaluation approaches on 1 project

THANK YOU, ANY QUESTIONS

@chrisshortccri,, [email protected] @[email protected] @deliverymodel