Reform water policies, government urged

The government is being urged to support and reward farmers who capture water and use it more efficiently.

Land managers who do so should be rewarded for delivering and managing sustainable water supplies, according to a document by the Country Land and Business Association.

The Tide is High paper sets out the CLA’s vision for water resources, quality and flood and coastal defence. And it challenges the government to put in place the right water policies for the rural economy.

CLA President William Worsley said: “We are asking the government to take into account our arguments and vision for the future of water in England and Wales when forming policy.”

On water resources, the paper calls on the government to support sustainable water supplies by promoting on-farm reservoirs, particularly by deregulating their use when there is no significant risk to public safety.

Land managers should be encouraged to work with water’s natural cycle and take advantage of high flows for storage by more flexible use of the licensing system, it adds.

On water quality, the paper calls for the government to combat water pollution by making a clear scientific and economic case for the quality standards imposed by the Nitrates and Water Framework Directives.

In particular, it says, any measures should be imposed across all sectors even-handedly according to a rigorous assessment of their cost-effectiveness, ensuring they do not impose disproportionate costs.

The CLA also suggests incentives rather than regulation as the most effective way of encouraging land managers to tackle water pollution.

Awareness of pollution and soaring fertiliser prices have encouraged land managers to be more cautious in their use of nutrients through nutrient planning, such as precision farming techniques, the paper says.

On flood and coastal defence, the CLA suggests protecting good agricultural land for food production, rather than surrendering it to water, and empowering communities to develop local solutions.

Key to this was the government’s backing for farmers’ work in flood alleviation and coastal defence, said Mr Worsley. “Water is such a vital area that it must not be allowed to be forgotten. Decisions made now will affect generations to come.”