The importance of an ecosystem approach for Scotland

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The importance of an ecosystem approach for
Scotlands water

• Maggie Gill
• Chief Scientific Adviser
• Rural Affairs and Environment
• Scottish Government

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Content

• How important is water to Scotland?
• What we are aiming for and how?
• Case study
• Take away messages

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Ecosystem Services

• Clean water for domestic consumption
• Water in support of Food and Drink industry
• Flood protection
• Transportation
• Renewable Energy
• Recreation

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Public water supply daily consumption in Scotland
Million litres per day (Ml/d)
Domestic Consumption 752
Non Domestic Consumption 524
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Whisky

• 41,000 jobs in Scotland
• Gross value added in the Scottish spirits sector
  is 1.4 bn or 1.4 of GDP
• 2007 record year for whisky exports - 2.82bn in
  shipment value 25 of UK and gt66 of Scottish
  food and drink exports

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Soils

• Scotlands soils hold 40 billion litres of water
  when fully wet. More than is in all the fresh
  water lochs
• Soil prevents immediate release to rivers helping
  to avoid flooding

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Water Framework Directive and Scotland Act
passed 2003

• Aims - protect, enhance, and restore all bodies
  of surface and ground water with the aim of
  achieving good surface and ground water status by
  2027 and
• protect social and economic interests of those
  who depend on Scotlands environment

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Water Framework Directive and Scotland

• 53 of Scotlands water bodies already meet the
  requirements
• River Basin Management Plans required to include
  ecological objectives for all water bodies
• More proactive targeting of specific catchments
• Consultation and participation key

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Why an ecosystem based approach?

• Framework for river basin management
• Integrating conservation and enhancement of
  natural resources with social and economic
  objectives
• Optimise the total value of ecosystem services in
  a river basin

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Case Study - Pitfirrane Minewater Treatment
Scheme
Source SEPA
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Pitfirrane Minewater Treatment Scheme

• Ex Dunfermline coal mine identified for
  remediation in 2015 RBMP cycle
• The problem
• Minewater rises through mine workings
• Dissolves metals from surrounding rock strata,
  oxides to ochre
• Low iron concentration (5-7 mg/litre) but high
  flow rate (400 litres/sec)

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Pitfirrane Minewater Treatment Scheme

• Significant economic impact
• Decline in visual attractiveness reduces
  investment
• Unsuitable for fishing, irrigation, livestock
  watering and water supply
• The Solution
• Treatment scheme divert through two constructed
  large wetlands covering an area of 20,000m2

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Benefits

• Wetland reed beds enable filtration and
  settlement
• Decrease contamination from 10mg/l entering
  reedbeds to 1mg/l leaving reedbeds
• Reedbeds also increase the biodiversity of the
  area forming a concentrated habitat for insects
  and birds

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Issues

• Impacts on communities
• Intergenerational issues
• Conflict and trade offs
• Valuation

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Take-away messages

• Multiple beneficiaries of clean water
  communities and the economy
• Water management closely tied to land management
• Issues of who pays research needed on valuation
• Science can help to deliver multiple benefits
  and to explore trade-offs
• Community participation essential

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