Water, the most important thing for human beings. It facilitates all the chemical reactions in the body, as well as those outside the body - the chemical reactions that drive scientific development and have been responsible for humankind's dominance on planet earth. It is essential, but supplying everybody in the United Kingdom with enough water to live and work is a difficult task. It involves balancing environmental protection with utility and practicality. Over the past millennia, mastering Britain's water sources has become a carefully balanced science.
Modern Hydro-ecology
Hydro-ecology is the scientific overlap between hydrology (the study of water) and ecology (biology that deals with organisms). Hydro-ecology is a key prioritization of DEFRA in the United Kingdom, as they look to protect the long-term future of Britain's water (potentially more finite than most believe) while balancing the water needs of society and nature. There are many different factors impacting hydroecology, including abstractions, organisms, flow regulation, artificial alterations (e.g., flood defenses), drought, and more.
The Influence of Policy
Policy has been the most recent area impacting the source and supply of water in Britain. Only in 2017 has the commercial water market been deregulated in England, following the success of the deregulation in Scotland. This is not the pollutive deregulation that normally comes to mind - it simply allows consumers of water to save money by choosing their water supplier; anybody can compare water suppliers for business and save money. If one applies free-market principles to this policy, the result is a more efficient water system with less wastage, a smart decision for environmental campaigners and business minds alike.
The Key Focus of Sustainability: Abstraction
Abstraction is when water is removed from water bodies to be used. It's a crucial backbone of society, but it can impact the natural flow of water bodies that can impact surrounding environments as well as the long-term ability of the water body to provide water.
Unsustainable abstraction is a big worry to Britain's scientists. It can cause a lot of damage - for example, if too much water is abstracted from a lake in a chalky area, the surrounding chalk streams can be dried up, which can irreversibly destroy the habitats and species that rely on chalky streams to live and thrive.
The reduced flows associated with unsustainable abstraction can exaggerate natural barriers like weirs, which can hinder migratory fish and impact the livelihood of fishermen. It can also allow invasive plant species to colonize exposed areas, reducing biodiversity.
A Balancing Act
Besides the consumer-facing policy, the EU's Water Framework Directive aims to manage and protect the water environment with a careful balancing act involving six-year cycles of River Basin management. Abstraction pressures in rivers are mapped out so that abstraction can be directed away from severely impacted areas, helping to prevent deterioration and even restore good ecological status when possible.
This is also aided by the Habitats and Birds Directives, which use hydroecology to protect wild plants, animals, and habitats. It has a legal duty to make sure that no activity - even if authorized by the Water Framework Directive, results in an adverse effect on the integrity of an important ecological site.
This careful balancing act helps to protect delicate environments while producing the water that humans need to survive and grow as a species.
