WSKEP news

NERC and the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) are inviting proposals for a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship in the area of aquaculture. NERC and BBSRC are seeking to invest in a suitably qualified academic to broker links between the academics and businesses within the UK aquaculture community and to provide expert input and advice to the UK Aquaculture Network. The successful applicant will propose a programme of work with the objective of generating impact from NERC/BBSRC funded research to the benefit of the aquaculture sector. The activities should also help to inform future research.

Further details can be found here.

The UK – Peru CONCYTEC Fund for Science and Innovation aims to build UK-Partner country research and innovation collaborations, centred on shared research and innovation challenges. The £600,000 fund is financed by the British Embassy in Lima and CONCYTEC.

It is expected this Fund will encourage collaborative scientific research and technological development between Peruvian and British researchers, by financing projects in basic and applied research projects to obtain new knowledge, and also build applications that contribute to the development of new methodologies, protocols or technologies.

Peruvian and British research organisations can submit bids developed in collaboration for basic and applied research projects in areas of biotechnology, agriculture, green growth, health, urban development, extractive industries, nanomaterials, geology, amongst others. The call is currently open until the 29th December.

For more details about the eligibility criteria, deadlines, and how to apply, please visit CONCYTEC website (the funding requirements and bidding process are available in English)

For further questions, you can send an email to investigacionbya@fondecyt.gob.pe

The Global Goals have only just been agreed, but climate change talks in Paris could be about to put them in jeopardy. Water Aid's Senior Policy Analyst for water security and climate change, Louise Whiting, explains why we need world leaders to act now – and why water needs to be at the top of their agenda.

2015 has been an incredible year for water.

With your support, September saw us achieve something we’d never have dreamt of just a few years ago: a Global Goal dedicated to clean water and sanitation.

But there’s one more urgent issue we need to raise with world leaders before we welcome in 2016 – and the conversations are happening right now in Paris, at the COP21 (conference of the parties) climate conference.

For further information see here.

NERC's world-leading climate science research is set to play a pivotal role in helping negotiators thrash out an international climate change agreement during the upcoming UN climate change conference in Paris (COP21).

Well over 100 NERC-funded scientists, based at the UK's top universities and our six research centres, will make a major contribution to the conference through an influential report, called the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), as well as through side events and presentations. The report, by the UN's climate panel, details the physical evidence behind climate change, and will help policymakers pave the way for a global, legally binding treaty on reducing carbon emissions.

Commentators see the conference as crucial, as the world needs an international agreement to have a chance of keeping global warming below 2°C.

The global climate is changing far more quickly than at any other time in recent history, and is already causing serious problems for the UK. The Stern Review estimates that, without action, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least five per cent of global GDP each year, now and forever.

An analysis shows that nearly two-thirds of the UK authors of AR5 are NERC-funded. NERC scientists have also made an impressive contribution to one of the three working groups that make up AR5, Working Group 1: of the UK authors of WG1, titled The Physical Science Basis, two-thirds are NERC-funded.

NERC's chief executive, Professor Duncan Wingham, said:

"COP21 is a significant world event. Agreements need to be made to ensure we aim to keep global warming below 2°C. I am proud of the world-leading contribution NERC research and scientists will make to these talks. We are demonstrating our position as a world-class provider of climate change research."

NERC is the UK's largest funder of world-leading weather and climate research, investing £58m a year. Our research has long been crucial in uncovering the effects of climate change on the planet.

For further information see here.

Cranfield University is delighted to announce that, for the fourth time in its history, it is the proud recipient of a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

The University has received the honour in recognition of its education and research on water and sanitation for developing countries. Over a 25-year period, Cranfield has pioneered improved water services benefiting the quality of lives and livelihoods in the most impoverished parts of the world.

Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield, said: “The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is marvellous recognition for the University’s pioneering research and education in this area. I pay special tribute to our staff, students and alumni together with our partners in government and business, who have been instrumental in developing improved water services in developing countries. Their work is having a profound impact on people’s lives in communities around the world.”

Simon Pollard, Cranfield’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Energy, Environmental Technology and Agrifood, said: “We are absolutely delighted. The Award acknowledges the contributions of a multitude of academic, technical and support staff. The University has routinely, without fanfare or celebration, positively influenced the lives of millions of people in small but extraordinary ways. Over the years, we have trained 500 professionals in the thinking and practices needed to deliver safe water and sanitation to the world’s poorest communities and had a significant influence on international policy and practice.”

Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science says: “The UK is a world leader in science and research and The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes celebrate the achievements of our universities and colleges. The outstanding academics recognised with these awards bring benefits to the everyday lives of millions of people in the UK and deserve this high honour for their work.”

For further information see here.

Funding Opportunity: Oil & Gas Decommissioning
Closing date: 3 December 2015 (16:00)

As part of the Oil and Gas Innovation Programme, NERC invites applications for an Innovation funding call focusing on decommissioning and its environmental management. NERC will invest up to £1m in a cohort of projects lasting six to 12 months which translate existing NERC-remit science in the following theme areas:

• Development of baselines (proxies) and innovative monitoring techniques and approaches
• Data management, sharing, access and collaboration
• Impact of man-made structures on the natural environment and options for decommissioning
• Innovative options for alternative use or extending the life of structures

All costs will be funded at 80% Full Economic Cost (FEC).
New end-user project partners have been added to the potential project partner document.
For more information, see the Announcement of Opportunity

The UK’s most comprehensive Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) guidance is released to support uptake, manage floods and create better places and spaces.

As the UK moves into winter, potentially a time of greater flood risk as seen during the 2013-2014 winter, CIRIA has launched the most comprehensive industry SuDS guidance available in the UK. This guidance focuses on the cost-effective planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of SuDS.

SuDS recognise the value of rainwater, seeking to capture, use, delay or absorb it, rather than reject it as a nuisance or problem. Sustainable drainage delivers multiple benefits. As well as delivering high quality drainage whilst supporting areas to cope better with severe rainfall, SuDS can also improve the quality of life in developments and urban spaces by making them more vibrant, visually attractive, sustainable and resilient to change by improving urban air quality, regulating building temperatures, reducing noise and delivering recreation and education opportunities.

Earlier this year a ministerial statement made by The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made it clear that SuDS must play a greater role in the planning system, and to that effect it was made a requirement that sustainable drainage systems will be provided in new major developments wherever appropriate.

The SuDS Manual (C697), first published by CIRIA in 2007, is the one-stop-shop for delivering SuDS and it is this guidance that has been significantly revised. The updated SuDS Manual (now C753) incorporates the very latest research, industry practice and guidance. In delivering SuDS there is a requirement to meet the framework set out by the Government’s ‘non statutory technical standards’ and the revised SuDS Manual complements these but goes further to support the cost effective delivery of multiple benefits.

The updated SuDS Manual (C753) is collaboratively funded and is free to download, available from the CIRIA website.

For further information see here.

An independent review of the UK Research Councils, led by Sir Paul Nurse, is published today. The report, ‘Ensuring a Successful Research Endeavour’, reviews why and how the UK should undertake research.

The report recognises the UK’s Research Councils as key to delivering one of the most effective research communities in the world. The evidence given as part of the review highlights the Research Councils’ reputation for effectively supporting and promoting research excellence for the benefit of society and the economy.

The report makes recommendations for the future of the Research Councils and their communities. The Research Councils have already recognised a need to strengthen collective operational working and have started initiating plans in this area. The report aligns with these aims and improvements in this area are expected in the future.

The Research Councils will be working with government, our staff and communities to explore and shape any changes that government may wish to make to the UK Research landscape following this review, the upcoming spending review and the recent higher education green paper. Our overriding priority is to ensure that the UK’s world-class research is supported through the most effective means possible.

The report is available here. 

For further information see here.

28 January 2016
Woburn House Conference Centre, London, WC1H 9HQ

Registration closes 4 December 2015

The ESPA research programme is planning to announce a call for research synthesis projects in early 2016. The call will fund a set of projects that build upon the scientific advances and evidence generated by ESPA grants. They will use ESPA research, knowledge and frameworks as a starting point but researchers should also extend their analysis more widely to consider all other relevant research evidence "looked at through the lens" of ESPA's approach to consider the links between a range of ecosystem services and multiple dimensions of poverty.

On behalf of the ESPA funders, NERC are inviting interested parties to apply to attend a town meeting on 28 January 2016 in central London.

The town meeting will provide an opportunity for the ESPA community to hear about the call, to engage and feed into refining its focus, and to develop contacts and ideas for possible projects. Attendance at the meeting is not a prerequisite to submitting a proposal to the call.

If you wish to attend this town meeting please complete the online registration form by the closing date of 4 December 2015.

For further information see here.

The Environment Agency wants your views on the new water resources management plan guidelines.

The Environment Agency is consulting on the new technical guidelines for water companies to follow when writing their water resources management plans. The guidelines have been jointly produced by the Environment Agency, Defra, Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat.

We want to hear your thoughts, comments and opinions on this guidance.

The guidance is for water companies in England and Wales. It sets out a technical framework for water companies to follow when developing and presenting their water resources management plans.

This consultation is relevant to anyone working on, or who has an interest in water company water resources planning. This includes water companies, national and local government, non-government organisations, other regulators, consultants, academic institutions, individuals and community groups, and potential third party suppliers of water.

Opens: 16 November 2015
Closes: 8 January 2016

For further details see here.

On the whole, October was settled, with anticyclonic conditions dictating weather patterns for much of the month. Monthly temperatures were moderately above average and it was unseasonably warm and sunny at times, especially in the north and west (north-west Scotland saw 121% of the average sunshine hours). Overall, it was a dry month with the majority of the UK receiving below average rainfall, and it was particularly dry in Scotland and Wales. Following notably low rainfall over the last three months, October river flows were generally in the normal range or below, with exceptionally low flows in some northern and western catchments. Groundwater levels were generally in the normal range or moderately below, although recoveries were evident in some boreholes, particularly in the far south. At the national scale, reservoir stocks were moderately below average at the end of October. Several impoundments in the north and west were more than 15% below average, e.g. the Northern Command Zone and Derwent Valley groups. The unsettled conditions of late October continued into early November, and current forecasts favour wetter-thanaverage conditions over the coming few months. Therefore, moderate short-term rainfall and runoff deficiencies are evident in western Britain, in general the water resources outlook remains favourable.

For further information see here.

Opening date on Je-S: 4 February 2016
Closing date on Je-S: 16:00 on 17 March 2016
Interview dates: To be confirmed

NERC wishes to award a number of Knowledge Exchange (KE) fellowships. KE Fellows work between 20% and 80% of their time on a work plan of their own choosing to generate impact from NERC-funded research in their host institution. The KE Fellowships will cover 100% of the Fellow's salary on a pro-rata basis including superannuation, NI and specific allowances, plus up to £40k for travel and other associated costs. They cover direct costs only and do not include overheads. There is no budget limit for salary costs and applications are particularly welcomed from individuals who are working at a senior level within a department or school. The KE Fellow must be employed by their host institution for the duration of their fellowship.

NERC is likely to be inviting applications for Directed Knowledge Exchange Fellowships as additional opportunities. The details will be added to the announcement of opportunity on the same webpage in December 2015 or early January 2016. Directed Knowledge Exchange Fellowships focus on a particular science area, policy requirement or business sector with the topic chosen by NERC. At this stage it is known that one of these opportunities will be for a KE Fellow to work with the aquaculture industry.

For further information see here.

Summary

Normal river flows and groundwater levels are likely for the next one to three months across the UK. This is despite the generally dry August to October period which led to depressed October river flows across the north and west, and below normal groundwater levels in some areas. The outlook tends towards normal (with above normal flows and levels possible in some areas) due to the driving meteorological forecasts, which suggest the next three months are more likely.

For further information see here.

The Satellite Applications Catapult is hosting a two-day sandpit to develop proof-of-concept climate services projects. The climate services projects will make use of climate information, together with a range of other information, to address real-world problems and challenges faced by businesses and government. The sandpit and projects are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and will primarily focus on sectors and topics including infrastructure, food and agriculture, water, natural resources and risk management.

The event is being held on 30th November and 1st December 2015, and prospective participants are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to attend by Friday 13th November 2015.

Further information about the event, projects and expression of interest form can be found here.

In just two years retailers, brands and organisations from across the clothing supply chain have reduced water impacts by a significant 12.5% per tonne of clothing, against a 15% reduction target by 2020. They are also making encouraging progress to cut carbon impacts, having achieved a 3.5% reduction per tonne of clothing against a 15% reduction target.

This progress against targets, which was announced on 5th November at WRAP’s annual conference, has been achieved through the collective action of 82 signatories and supporters of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan’s (SCAP) sector commitment - SCAP 2020, which is led by WRAP, the UK’s resource efficiency experts.

SCAP 2020 launched in 2013 when WRAP identified for the first time key action areas that could deliver the biggest reductions in the environmental impact of clothing, including: using lower impact fibres; extending the active life of clothes; and increasing re-use and recycling.

Two years on and the sector is really embracing the drive for more sustainable practices and making positive changes to the way it designs and manufactures products. For example, there’s a move towards more sustainable fibre choices where recycled material is being chosen over virgin options, particularly for polyester. Similarly for cotton, the industry is moving away from conventional cotton to lower impact cottons like those accredited by the Better Cotton Initiative. Its moves like these that are contributing to the overall water reduction.

For further information see here.

• Major 5 year study indicates lower GHG emissions from UK arable agriculture than previously thought
• Produced by a consortium of 23 organisations, including the REA, NFU, AHDB, Vivergo Fuels Ltd., British Sugar, and DEFRA
• Implications for competitiveness of UK green industry and national GHG emissions reduction targets

The conclusions of five years of field research, released today, show that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the UK’s arable sector are significantly lower than previously thought. The report is positive news for the UK’s renewable fuels industry and for the national effort to meet GHG emissions reductions targets.

Previous estimates have overstated the greenhouse gases emitted from growing arable crops in the UK by about 15%. This means that renewable fuels produced from UK feed wheat and sugar beet actually have an even lower carbon footprint compared to fossil diesel and petrol.

The revelations provided by the Minimising Nitrous Oxide (MIN-NO) report are a welcome boost for the UK’s renewable fuels industry and the nation’s arable farmers. The study, published on the website of the AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) after five years of intensive field research, was a collaborative project between 23 organizations, including the Department for Food and Rural Affairs, the Renewable Energy Association (REA), the NFU and AHDB, Vivergo Fuels Ltd., and British Sugar.

30% of the renewable liquid transport fuels used in the UK comes from UK feedstocks with an average carbon saving currently of circa 65% compared to fossil fuels. The MIN-NO report demonstrates that the actual level of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas emitted from soil, is half the current theoretical value. This means, for example, that UK-produced bioethanol used to fuel petrol cars is even cleaner than current calculations suggest.

For further information see here.

Customers' number one priority for the water industry is safe, reliable supplies of water at a price they can afford. To deliver this, it's critically important that the water industry plans for the long term, because decisions and investments made today will determine the level of service that the industry can provide well into the future.

As we look into that future, there are some significant challenges and uncertainties - such as the impacts of a changing economy, a changing climate and an increasing population, which together will put more pressure on water resources and require the water sector to be more innovative in how it balances the supply and demand for water whilst also protecting the environment.

To understand better the challenges the industry faces over the long term, and to help shape a high level strategy and framework for the long term planning of water resources in England and Wales, the water industry is commissioning research on the resilience of water supplies over at least the next 50 years. It will aim to strengthen the overall resilience of water resources for all water users and to protect the environment.

For further information see here.

The Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) of the Committee on Climate Change has been asked by the Government to lead the next UK Climate Change Risk Assessment. An ASC Evidence Report will be published in July 2016, before the final Government report is presented to Parliament in 2017. The ASC has commissioned four research projects to inform its 2016 assessment.

This report describes the results of a project to investigate the development of plausible high-end climate change scenarios. It covers the following climate hazards: heat waves, cold snaps, low and high rainfall, droughts, floods and windstorms. The scope of the project does not extend into defining the consequences of these hazards such as mortality, property damage or impacts on the natural environment.

For further information see here.

CDP’s annual water report, ‘Accelerating Action’, was launched in Tokyo, Japan last week by Cate Lamb, Head of Water.

Read the full Accelerating Action Report and Summary.

In a year when the World Economic Forum has ranked global water crises – including drought, increased risk of flooding and deteriorating water quality – as the greatest threat facing the planet, this report shows that some companies are beginning to move ahead of the pack in addressing water concerns.

Eight leading companies have achieved an ‘A’ in CDP’s first ever-global ranking of corporate efforts to improve water security. The emergence of these leaders underpins the growing understanding among companies that it makes business sense to address water security.

Key messages from the report

Acting to improve water security is a business and investment imperative for many companies and investors;

• 27% of participating companies have already experienced detrimental impacts related to water with reported financial impacts totaling some US$2.5 billion.

Leading companies manage water because it makes business sense to do so;

• They join the Water A List because of their approach to water management, and are showing that strategic water stewardship efforts can reduce risk, enhance strategic preparedness, improve investor appeal and make businesses more resilient.

Urgent action is needed to close the gap between leaders in water stewardship and laggards;

• There is a significant lack of transparency in the face of rising investor interest– only 38% (of 1073 companies) disclosed.

For more information see here.

Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK Government is required to publish a Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years. The first assessment was published in 2012 and the next is due in 2017 (CCRA2). This supporting research presents the results of one of the four projects commissioned by the Committee on Climate Change to inform CCRA2.

In partnership with the University of Exeter, the University of York, Scotland’s Rural College (Dominic Moran) and Ricardo-AEA (Richard Smithers), AECOM was commissioned to undertake an aggregate assessment of climate change impacts on the goods and benefits provided by the UK’s natural assets.

For further information see here.