Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1062770
The Catchment Based Approach – what is it and why does it matter? Engaging a range of partners at a river catchment scale is proving to be the best route to environmental improvements, including better water quality and flood management T he Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) embeds collabora- tive working at a riv- er catchment scale, bringing a range of partners together to support integrated catchment management, pool knowledge and expertise, and deliver cross-cutting environ- mental improvements. Although originally envi- sioned as a route to support implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC) to improve waterbody status, its success Collaborative Approach The CaBA initiative combines the concept of integrated catchment management with an inclusive partnership ap- proach. Previously, manage- ment of the water environment was undertaken by Govern- ment agencies, private water companies and landowners, o…en operating in isolation. The 'bottom-up' collaborative approach taken by CaBA can engage all sectors of society, including businesses, civil society, land managers and local authorities. Catchment Partnerships each have a host organisation, typically an envi- ronmental NGO such as a local Rivers Trust or a Wildlife Trust, although other organisations, including water companies, also act as hosts. Hosting is currently supported financially by Defra. Partnerships use their influence to leverage further funding into catch- ments – in 2017/18, for every £1 invested in CaBA by Defra, £6.50 was spent on catchment improvements. Around the table are a wide range of partners, including Defra family organisations, environmental NGOs, local authorities, water companies and academic institutions. Partners may also include the agricultural and business sec- tors, local community groups and angling clubs, but vary by partnership, depending on their own and the partner- over the past five years means that its involvement and influ- ence now extend both wider and deeper into environmental management. CaBA was launched as a Defra policy framework in 2013 to "encourage the wider adoption of an integrated Catchment Based Approach to improve the quality of our water environment". Catchment Partnerships are now active in all the 100-plus management catch- ments in England and cross- border with Wales. 24 | JANUARY 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk The Knowledge Catchment Management BY DR CLARE DEASY, CATCHMENT CO-ORDINATOR, NORTHUMBRIAN WATER (Writing on behalf of the CaBA National Support Group) Volunteers planting vegetation on the River Wandle (credit: South East Rivers Trust)