Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/P010334/1
Evaluating nature based strategies in rural landscapes for managing low flows and stream temperatures
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr J Geris, University of Aberdeen, Geography and Environment
- Grant held at:
- University of Aberdeen, Geography and Environment
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- Landscape assessment
- Landscape planning and design
- Nature conservation
- Landscape Architecture
- Earth Engineering
- Aquifers
- Flow tracing
- Flow modelling
- Hydrogeology
- Uplands
- Water quality
- Water resources
- Catchment management
- Flow pathways
- Groundwater
- Hydropedology
- Runoff modelling
- Tracers
- Transit times
- Uplands
- Water resources
- Hydrological Processes
- Water quality
- Abstract:
- Recent years have seen an increasing interest in alternative, nature based (as opposed to traditional engineering) solutions (NBS) for risk prevention from extreme hydrometeorological events. Such NBS are gaining momentum internationally and range from local storage ponds to entire river restoration projects, though key efforts typically involve efforts to slow or temporarily store flood water in the uplands. While there is a need for wider application-orientated frameworks for effective NBS planning, current knowledge is primarily based on isolated design strategies used at small scale sites. In addition, the urgent development of appropriate funding mechanisms lacks further scientific evidence on the multi-beneficial nature of NBS. This study will explore NBS strategies for mitigating low flows and increased water temperatures, which are predicted under future climate projections with prolonged warm and dry periods. By affecting the time-scales of water retention in different parts of the landscape, NBS has the potential to substantially impact on recharge, subsurface storage and flow pathways, which in turn have implications for e.g. water quality and temperature. As such, when designed in a more holistic framework, NBS can contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change, and can be used to the benefit of (industry) end-users who rely on water quantity, quality and temperature standards. This includes the multi billion pound (CASE partner) distillery industry. The project will contribute to the knowledge on multi-purpose functioning and the placement of different NBS and provide a framework for integrated NBS design in the uplands. It addresses key deficiencies in the understanding of NBS impacts on recharge (and surface water ground water interactions) that could be beneficial to the full flow regime spectrum, including low flows; how this relates to landscape attributes; how these impacts affect stream temperatures/water quality; and how integrated NBS function to affect hydrological processes at the catchment scale. More specifically, objectives include: - To investigate the sensitivity of change to hydrological functioning and source water temperature dynamics will be investigated for a range of upland landscapes in order to identify possible locations for NBS - To develop a monitoring and modelling framework for NBS impact assessment on low as well as high flow extremes - Using this framework, to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of NBS approaches under different climate projections - To conduct a cost-benefit analysis for the above scenarios to inform the development of NBS business case approaches as well as policy The project involves a multidisciplinary partnership (academia, catchment management, and industry) and offers an exceptional training opportunity for a PhD student that will address the challenge of managing future upland water resources. This will help to shape and address environmental policies whilst allowing industries to better utilise water resources in a sustainable way under the threat of climate change and increasing product demand. One of the novel aspects in the context of increasing the NBS knowledge base is the integration of water quantity monitoring and modelling, with chemical tracers that can be used as 'fingerprints' for water origin, flow pathways and age. Using such approaches in recent work by Geris and colleagues showed that landscape properties (e.g. soil properties) can have an important control on these processes in upland catchment functioning. This provides an important prerequisite for the design of NBS strategies. The partnership will provide a unique opportunity to integrate these advances with skills on water quality assessment and utilising upland water resources in a sustainable way (CASE Partner) and extensive experience in the design and functioning as well as the wider policy issues related to NBS (Project Partner)
- NERC Reference:
- NE/P010334/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Industrial CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £88,292
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - Student Stipend | Total - RTSG |
|---|---|---|
| £17,296 | £59,998 | £11,000 |
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