Category: Webinar
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Delivering rainwater management as part of the Integrated Water Management Plan in Greater Manchester
This Foundation for Water Research (FWR) webinar provides an overview of United Utilities’ approach to rainwater management. It includes the drivers for taking a different approach to how rainwater is captured and managed where it falls, with the aim of replumbing the North West of England. The webinar covers what this looks like in real terms, with…
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Microplastic pollution in the freshwater environment
This event brings together experts to explore the growing issue of microplastics in our aquatic and marine environments, and the implications for sustainable wastewater management. The event features lightning presentations from experts, exploring topics including the scale of microplastic pollution in our watercourses, key sources of microplastics, and the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in aquatic…
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FWR Panel Discussion – the impact of agriculture on water
In this Foundation for Water Research (FWR) event, speakers discussed the critical relationship between agriculture and water resources. Through a series of short, lightning presentations the expert speakers highlighted the latest insights on the impact of agriculture on water resources, experience of managing this in practice, and potential future challenges for this relationship. Presentations included:…
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Integrating water management to enable sustainable growth
In January 2025 the Chancellor reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor to help kickstart economic growth, highlighting the potential of the corridor to unlock £78 billion for the UK economy by 2035. Capitalising on the region’s excellence in science and innovation will ensure that world-class research translates to commercial success.…
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Delivering multiple benefits from nature-based solutions
This discussion meeting brings together experts on nature-based solutions to discuss how they can support a healthy and resilient water environment, whilst delivering multiple benefits for people and nature. Each speaker provides a short presentation exploring their views on the role of nature-based solutions in delivering multiple benefits and how these can be delivered in practice. We then…
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Trading water across regions: Challenges, opportunities and its role in supporting resilience
Climate change is predicted to drive changes in the distribution of water across the UK, and combined with our increased usage of water, is projected to lead to increased water scarcity in England by the end of the century. This will have repercussions on the supply and demand of water across the country and will…
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Water Framework Directive economics 25 years on: From promise to practice – and the case for reform
This webinar presents a review of the economic provisions of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) by an informal group of independent European water economists, who in 2000 worked together to develop the Wateco Guidance for the economic analysis for the WFD. It documents their 25 years practical experience with WFD implementation. Jonathan Fisher first provides…
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Working with farmers for river restoration
Farmers and land managers have a huge influence on Britain’s rural environment, but there is only so much that an individual, acting in isolation, can achieve on their own. By working together, aided by an advisor or ‘facilitator’, farmers and land managers can work more cohesively together in their locality. This enables them to collectively…
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Planning citizen science monitoring of rivers
The CastCo Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CastCo project) is building a shared understanding of monitoring data so that citizen scientists can work alongside professionals to restore rivers together. They have been working with eight Demonstration Catchments for the last two and a half years, where volunteer coordinators have built a workforce of volunteers to carry…
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Protecting Scotland’s groundwater quality
This webinar provides an overview of the new groundwater quality standards for Scotland, including the key changes to Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA’s) associated guidance on assigning groundwater criteria for pollutant inputs, and on land contamination impacts on the water environment. This updated guidance is relevant to hydrogeological risk assessments in support of planning applications,…
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Protecting our rivers, lakes and seas: tackling water pollution through innovation and collaboration
The health of our water environment has never been higher on the public and Government agenda. The topic features daily in the media, while the Government has set a key priority to ‘Clean up our rivers, lakes and seas’. This Foundation for Water Research (FWR) panel discussion explores how innovative approaches, as well as collaboration…
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Pollution from highway runoff and how to manage it
In this webinar, Jo Bradley, Stormwater Shepherds, sets out the extent of water pollution caused by highway runoff in the UK, and describes the effects of the toxins in the pollution. She explains how these harmful discharges fit in with other sources of pollution, and how we could potentially raise the profile of the problem.…
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Future home life with water in new build residential developments
This webinar presented work by University of Manchester researchers on the Ofwat Innovation-funded Enabling Water Smart Communities (EWSC) project. EWSC is an innovation project exploring the relationship between integrated water management, community engagement and practices, and housing development to unlock new opportunities for cross-sector delivery and stewardship. Ella Foggitt from the University of Manchester presented…
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Water Climate Discussion – Radical Change: Reverse Water Cycles
This discussion explores how the radical change idea of reversing water cycles could support improved climate mitigation, resilience and improved biodiversity. Is climate change and the resulting loss in biodiversity irreversible? Will our current efforts to slow climate change be enough or do we need to consider radical change in our water systems? IES/FWR held…
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Integrated water management and economic growth
In this webinar Dr Jonathan Fisher explores the impacts of integrated water management on the following main drivers of economic growth: He concludes with an overall assessment that recommends key requirements to enhance the impacts of integrated water management on sustainable economic growth.
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Ecosystem Assessment using the Ramsar Convention’s adopted RAWES approach: Wetlands and beyond
This webinar provides an overview of the RAWES approach to ecosystem services assessment. Despite commitments by global signatories of the Ramsar Convention to undertake systemic assessment of designated wetlands, research has revealed that virtually no commitments had been honoured globally and that the lack of practical tools for rapid assessment was a principal obstacle. The…
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The River Crane: an Urban Smarter Water Catchment
The River Crane in West London is the UK’s first urban Smarter Water Catchment and since 2020 has benefited from £3m of direct investment across five main themes – community and access; biodiversity; water quality; geomorphology and flooding – with at least £20m of further investment identified. This webinar sets out the main findings of…
