What impact do riparian invasive non-native plant species (Rhododendron ponticum and its hybrids, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), Himalayan balsam (Impatiens grandulifera), and giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) have on freshwater habitats and species?
The supply-demand balance is a key measure of water resource sustainability.This balance is highly uneven across Scotland with much of the demand for water in the drier east. Agricultural irrigation is increasing in many areas, linked to land use change and requirements for high-quality produce. Better knowledge of the water balance can help secure its multiple benefits, including food security, energy crops, and the natural environment. A changing climate has implications for both water supply and demand but previous assessments have not included the influence of land use.
This project, carried out between April 2011 and December 2012, contributed to our understanding by raising stakeholder awareness of the state of knowledge of the role of water in relation to well-being (e.g. a cause of stress, or a factor influencing psychological restoration); collating the state-of-art in evidence of the role of water in relation to well-being; and engaging with stakeholders to identify links in relation to water and well-being.
The work was carried out by a team from the James Hutton Institute and Heriot Watt University.
Fully integrated catchment management planning Catchment Advice Template and Exchange II (CATCH-II). This project established a common understanding of the activities and objectives of integrated catchment management (ICM) projects and policy-makers/implementers in Scotland. It used the knowledge and experience of established ICM projects to identify opportunities and challenges to delivering Scotland’s policy commitments to water management at the catchment-level.
The project carried out between April 2011 and August 2012 contributes to our understanding of coastal flooding in Scotland. A practitioners' guidance document was produced as part of the project. The purpose of this guidance is to provide the most up-to-date knowledge and information relating to coastal flooding in Scotland ensuring that the information in this field is based on the best available scientific evidence.
The project raises awareness of fundamental concepts in fluvial geomorphology and its importance in determining the habitat that river ecosystems rely on and its role in natural flood management (NFM). The work also aimed to promote best practice for managing and restoring the geomorphology of rivers. The project was completed by a team from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Stirling.
The project contributes to the baseline knowledge related to natural flood management (NFM). It seeks to provide evidence for and support implementation of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. The project was completed by a team from JHI and Heriot Watt University.
The aim of CREW is to increase the networks between researchers, policy makers and practitioners; skills and capacity of researchers to share knowledge; and impact of knowledge generated. The Evaluating Science, Policy, Practice Interfaces (ESPPI) project undertakes evaluation of CREW on a yearly basis to assess CREW’s performance in meeting these objectives as the centre develops.
This project seeks to develop an understanding of the epidemiology and disease burden contribution of private supplies on the public health of the populations (indigenous and transient) exposed to the drinking water supplies. The output is expected to inform future regulation and public health monitoring strategies. The project will be delivered using a mixed method approach that includes both qualitative and quantitative analysis supported by mathematical modelling of small scale managed water systems.