Active Projects
Support for catchment partnerships
Background:
Catchment partnerships are a network of local organisations and communities working together to improve the water environment for people and wildlife (through delivery of Water Framework Directive (WFD) outcomes). Each partnership focuses on a specific catchment.
The North West River Basin District (NWRBD) is a diverse area made up of 12 catchments. In terms of geography, catchments in the north are largely rural and open, whilst in the south they are generally more urban. Population size, agricultural practices, and local government policies all vary across the district.
These differences affect catchment partnerships in different ways, however there are common challenges they face and similar opportunities available.
Previous work from Natural Course included a catchment benchmarking exercise that looked at barriers, good practice and opportunities to help deliver more WFD outcomes across the catchment partnerships. A report was produced that identified common development opportunities across the catchment partnerships and looked at whether opportunities exist to increase capacity in partnerships. The report also included suggestions and recommendations of how issues and opportunities could be addressed to improve delivery of WFD and wider ways of working.
What we are doing:
We will utilise the catchment benchmarking report to develop and deliver a programme of interventions and provide mechanisms to support catchment partnerships to enable greater delivery of WFD outcomes.
The process will include:
- Reviewing the results and recommendations from the catchment benchmarking report.
- Identifying specific projects that could be funded by Natural Course to support the development of catchment partnerships across the NWRBD
- Identifying proposals that the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) National Support Group (NSG) could take forward and implement.
- Initiation and delivery of projects that receive Natural Course funding.
Who else is involved?
Environment Agency, Rivers Trust, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Catchment Coordinators and Catchment Hosts.
Project location:
North West River Basin District.
Latest update:
Developing investible projects – business support guidance (opens in new tab)