The document summarizes the development of a Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) partnership in the Cotswold Catchment area. The partnership grew from an earlier pilot project and involves farmers, private sector groups, local communities, and public agencies. It takes a partnership approach to identify ecosystem services provided in the catchment, including water quality, flood control, energy production, and more. The PES framework pays farmers for land management practices that secure these services for beneficiaries. It uses a social learning process where data is shared and management options are jointly discussed and developed. The long-term goal is to implement the PES framework to support sustainable farming practices that maintain ecosystem services in the catchment area.

1. Payments For Ecosystem
Services (PES) in the Cotswold
Catchment
Chris Short, CCRI, University of
Gloucestershire

2. Development of PES partnership
• Grew from Upper Thames Pilot Catchment
• Identify PES assets within the catchment (ILD)
o People (the sellers and beneficiaries)
o Link existing data and programmes (Defra pilot)
o Partnership approach to development
o Shared problem solving

3. Who is involved
• Sellers – farmers involved at start, data input
• Beneficiaries/Buyers
• Private sector (Thames Water, Ecotricity)
• Local communities (develop and benefit from)
• Public Sector (EA and NE)
• Facilitators – making links, develop
framework

4. What is ‘in’ the PES framework
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Water Quality (drinking water and WFD)
Community services (flood, amenity, others)
Energy production with benefits (Ecotricity)
Water flow & biodiversity (EA, NE, communitys)
Food production/protected landscape/tourism
Layering of PES (via restoration of catchment)

5. Achieved by
• PES securing appropriate farming practice
– Selection and location of crops
– Rotation and pest management
– Combined food and energy
– Soil management for PES
• Secure enough for Buyers?
• Viable for Sellers?

6. Triggers
• WFD failings
• Concern about
Metaldehyde levels
winter 12/13
1

7. Social Learning Approach
Collins & Ison 2009

9. Concerted action
• By farmer on farm
– Nitrate, Phosphate and
Ammonia + field diary
• By TW/UWE
– Metaldehyde, pesticides
• By CSF – organic matter
• Joint discussion of data
• Agree way forward
– management options
– knowledge gaps
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10. Summary of PES Approach
• Partnership approach (Phase 1)
– Part of the solution, in at the start
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Multiple services under one (layered) PES
Sellers and Buyers involved in developing
Demonstration events & knowledge exchange
Co-production of options
Development of PES framework (Phase 2)
Phase 3 onwards to deal with implementation

11. Thank you
cshort@glos.ac.uk