Agricultural measures for water management and their integration into spatial planning

As a joint project between regions in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, AMEWAM (Agricultural measures for water management and their integration into spatial planning) addresses land use and water systems. In the partner regions, recent freak rainfall has given rise to rapid water run-off from arable fields into residential areas and rivers. The project tackles the problem of surface water runoff, soil erosion and water retention capacity of soils in small catchment areas through a set of agricultural, forestry and environmental measures, in collaboration with farmers and other land users. The project also addresses water management and land use planning. It addresses the problem of water scarcity among different users and contrasts different approaches to water management between them. Computer visualisation work pioneered in one Member State will be applied during the consultation process across the partner regions from regional authorities to environmental protectionists, farmers, mayors and local communities. Using modelling techniques within a geographic information system, the project will estimate the transnational benefits of applying measures over selected wider regions, and consider how to communicate their potential impacts to residents and stakeholders and how to integrate their findings into policy and planning frameworks. Its myriad objectives include the development of transferable measures, regional guidelines and a database within an integrated management system for agricultural areas.