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Valuing Wetlands Wetland Futures Report 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands Citation Freeman, H. (2014) Wetland Futures 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Steering group contributors THE TRUSTS Sponsors Front cover: wetlands discovery, Arundel photo: Heather Tait Contents Executive summary 2 Healthy wetlands for land management Jason Beedell 15 Acknowledgements 3 The benefits of healthy wetlands from a local Introduction 4 planning perspective Prof. Alister Scott 16 Keynote speech Prof. Chris Baines 5 Ripon City Quarry: a corporate ecosystem valuation Overall policy panel Delia Shannon 17 Two key sectors to engage with – agriculture & planning Constructed wetlands: a water company Alister Driver 6 perspective Dr Gabriela Dotro 18 Scotland: wetland policy challenges and opportunities The International Water Stewardship Standard Lisa Webb 7 Claire Bramley 18 Wetlands in Wales: key challenges for Natural Working with wetlands: achieving catchment Resources Wales benefits for wetlands and land managers Chris Uttley 8 on Tweed Prof. Chris Spray 19 Wetlands and agricultural panel Peat and food security The Great Fen project: the multiple benefits of Prof. Joe Morris 9 wetland restoration Kate Carver 20 Catchment Sensitive Farming James Grischeff 11 Floodplain meadows project: the multiple benefits A farming perspective Prof. David Gowing 21 Richard Murray Wells 11 Implications of an ecosystem service agenda What is the value of wetlands? for wetland conservation Dr Peter Glaves 12 Dr Richard Bradbury 22 The economics of ecosystems and Climate change and wetlands biodiversity (TEEB) for water and wetlands Dr Mike Morecroft 22 Daniela Russi 12 Introduction to the Blueprint for Water Waterlogged wealth: realising the multiple Carrie Hume 23 benefits of healthy wetlands Prof. Ed Maltby 13 The field trip – Askham bog 24 Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) for people Conclusions, challenges and the future and wildlife: from principles to practice Dr Debbie Pain 26 Andy Graham 14 Wetland Futures Report 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands 1 Executive Summary Wetland Futures brings together people from a wide The speakers gave us insight into industry and private range of sectors involved in wetland management, sector perspectives and presented a number of practice and policy. It provides a forum for disseminating inspirational case studies such as the Great Fen project information, showcasing best practice, debate and and the Tweed Forum. Wetland Futures 2013 highlighted discussion, and to strengthen the delivery of wetland the importance of good and timely communications, and conservation in the UK. The 2013 event celebrated the that we’ve a long way to go in this endeavour. By using multiple benefits wetlands can provide, whilst at the same the right language, we can help other sectors such as time recognised challenges and opportunities that the land managers and planners see the benefits of healthy current political and economic climate presents us with. wetlands more clearly. We did not have all the answers and we undoubtedly face challenging times ahead, but Collectively there is much valuable expertise in Wetland Futures 2013 helped to demonstrate that there creating, managing, and restoring wetlands and effort in is also cause for optimism. The wetland community is a demonstrating how this benefits wildlife, the economy thriving, energetic place containing valuable knowledge and society in the UK. To build on this knowledge and experience, creative ideas for the future and and meet our ambitions of more and better protected great examples of partnership working. We hope that wetlands, we need to work more effectively and Wetland Futures will be a key forum through which these efficiently, in partnerships, at larger scales and with a opportunities can be seized, as well as shaped and range of stakeholders to realise the benefits wetlands influenced by our collective voice. can achieve. If you have any thoughts, comments or suggestions The conference highlighted a clear suite of challenges. regarding Wetland Futures and how it is taken forward, As an organisation committed to the conservation of please send them to [email protected] wetlands we ask the reader to work with us towards better valuing the benefits of healthy wetlands so that wetland conservation can move progressively forward over the coming year. (1) We need to create a ‘safe space’ for different sectors to work together using a ‘common language’ to identify progressive ways forward for wetland conservation that benefit all. (2) We need to better communicate case studies, new tools and good practice as examples of how we have helped make the connections between wetland values and people’s lives, communicating this in a way that different audiences understand. Taylor-Jones photo: Richard Children playing on mudflats, Llanelli (3) In two years time we need to have improved our engagement and influence with politicians and decision makers so that they understand the importance and value of water and wetlands. 2 Wetland Futures Report 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands Acknowledgements Planning, organising and running Wetland Futures 2013 and smooth running of the conference, Kane Brides for would not have been possible without the assistance getting all the tweeting going; Charlotte Parker, Frances of numerous individuals and organisations. First and and John Freeman; and thanks also to Debbie Pain for foremost among these are the steering group for providing us with a motivating and inspiring summing their advice, support and assistance: Ann Skinner, up of the conference; to the fundraising team at WWT, Crispin Scott, Dave Raffaelli, Helen Perkins, Joe Morris, especially to James Byron and Ellie Wise whose support Sarah Blyth, and Stewart Clarke. Thanks also to David was invaluable; the support of the Admin team at WWT Southgate (Hanson Aggregates), Mike Oxford (ALGE) for dealing with all the delegate admissions; to the Priory and Diane Mitchell (NFU) for their advice on engaging St Centre at York for such a fine venue and support; and their sectors. to Bradshaw’s catering for providing us with a superb evening meal as well as our lunches. Wetland Futures 2013 would not have been possible without the many individuals and projects that kindly We would also like to express our deep thanks for the agreed to chair and give presentations. Additional thanks financial support provided by Severn Trent Water and the to those at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, especially Caroline NERC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability Thorogood and John Traill for showing us around Programme. Askham Bog and for the interesting discussions had there. Thanks also to Jeff Lunn for leading one of the And finally, thanks to everyone for attending and to all discussion groups. those who joined us on twitter. We would like to recognise the efforts of a wide range of people who gave their assistance to the organisation photo: Martin Senior Reedbed, London Wetland Centre Wetland Futures Report 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands 3 Introduction Wetlands are beautiful and inspiring places, important for and wildlife. The two day event offered progressive wildlife and people. They can store floodwaters, control insights into what drives and constrains the creation erosion, provide us with clean water, influence the climate, and management of healthy wetlands for a wide range and provide food, medicines, and building materials, all of stakeholders. It brought people together, forged new of which can be assigned some kind of value. It is much relationships and developed new ideas. more difficult to assign a value to the rich diversity of wildlife dependent on them. Wetlands are also important Wetland Futures 2013 aims were: to human health providing a resource for recreation and tourism, physical and mental health benefits. • Explore how wetlands add value to economy and society through a range of beneficial goods and services; Wetlands are under threat from pollution, invasive species, examine data and tools currently available to identify, the influence of climate change and our ever-increasing assess and realise their potential benefits. demand for water and land. • Draw together evidence of success and good Wetland Futures focuses on the conservation of wetlands practice in wetland management, focussing on factors in their broadest sense, from ephemeral ponds and wet that can promote wetland potential meadows to lakes, rivers and estuaries, constructed and natural, in urban and rural landscapes. We want to put in • Identify what actions are needed to help us realise place practical ideas that will help deliver healthy wetlands wider value from wetlands, including further development for people and wildlife into the long term. of tools, collaborations, funding initiatives, development, planning and policy integration. Wetland Futures 2013 was held from the 1st-2nd October 2013 in York and aimed to develop a shared This document summarises the presentations given at the understanding of the contribution healthy wetlands can conference, provides some key challenges from the event, make to the social and economic well being of people and describes next steps for Wetland Futures. photo: Hannah Freeman Delegates at the Wetland Futures Conference 4 Wetland Futures Report 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands Keynote speech from Chris Baines Chris Baines gave an opening keynote speech Chris went on to give an example of a Wildlife Trust highlighting the need for people to understand the managed realignment project in Essex. Within a year of restoration of habitat for catchment wide benefits. It is not growing winter wheat and the flood defences being not all bad news; otter numbers have rebounded and the breached there was a commercial crop of samphire. number of people with ponds in their garden has grown Also the creek system had re-established providing hugely. However, we must take advantage of the wakeup habitat to literally millions of fish fry, including five call that we can have drought and flood in the same commercially important species driving the argument week; that solutions aren’t easy and that cause and effect offshore.
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