Water catchment management
We are the market leader in developing and implementing the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) to water management.
The combination of our detailed technical knowledge of catchment science with environmental economics, and wide experience of partnership working and stakeholder engagement, means that we can quantify the benefits to you of applying CaBA. We can also work with you to identify potential partnership funders who may be willing to provide payments for the Ecosystem Services generated through the CaBA process.
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Nutrient budget calculators to benefit housing developers
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Nutrient budget calculators to benefit housing developers
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Ricardo supports Natural England to help ensure better health for our rivers and wildlife through updated nutrient neutrality calculators
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Developed a guidance tool for the Environment agency to enable a climate resilient catchment method to support stakeholders in reducing the impacts of climate change and agricultural resilience
Delivered a review of the effects of drought on biodiversity and ecosystems for Natural England.
Established an ecosystem markets taskforce for DEFRA, enabling a greater understanding of opportunities and constraints for ecosystem markets, monetisation of natural capital and green economy & business resilience.
Ricardo has and continues to work across England and Wales to support industry, providing proportionate nutrient neutrality solutions that are effective (in terms of economic and environmental cost) whilst passing regulatory requirements. The vast experience and expertise gained through working with regulators, councils, planners, builders, landowners and other private organisations means our experts have a unique understanding of the challenges inherent in delivering effective solutions. Here we go through our comprehensive range of nutrient neutrality services.
Nutrient neutrality support
Nutrient neutrality has halted development, hitting home builders particularly hard. To achieve the best environmental outcomes from nutrient neutrality, Ricardo's expert provide the strategic approaches needed to deliver long-term, catchment-scale nutrient reductions and support national homebuilding targets.
Providing effective support for managing nutrient neutrality
- Mitigation feasibility: Determine mitigation feasibility with a strong understanding of NbS and how they can both support nutrient neutrality and provide wider benefits.
- Technical assessments: Provide the technical assessments to support Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Appropriate Assessments.
- Nutrient budget: Provide advice and practical assistance on how to calculate nutrient budgets and the nutrient impact of non-residential developments.
- Strategic advice: Provide strategic advice on how to achieve nutrient neutrality at a catchment-scale and deliver wider environmental benefits using our expert understanding in Natural Capital.
- Stakeholder engagement: Ability to work with landowners including those in the agricultural sector utilising our professional network of farm advisers.
Benefit from expert support
Our experts are ideally placed to advise competently and efficiently on which solutions are likely to be successful relative to development size and location.
Save on costs and resources
First-time identification and pursuit of the most appropriate and viable nutrient mitigation solution(s) likely to succeed in addressing your key local challenges.
Improve success rate of planning applications
Achieve building targets, while avoiding costly delays to project completion and the risk of projects getting stalled indefinitely.
Better informed decisions
Specialist support from technical experts who can guide you through development of viable strategic plans to deliver nutrient mitigation at the catchment scale.
Supporting relationship development
Supporting you to identify relevant local stakeholders for potential collaboration, whose support can help secure and strengthen long-term mitigation success.
Supporting industry standards
Ricardo developed the nutrient budget calculators on behalf of Natural England to enable developers to quantify the nutrient mitigation required for a new residential development.
Water catchment management Resources
