The shift toward Nature-based Solutions (NbS) marks a fundamental change in how we manage one of our most precious resources: water. As a cornerstone of all life, water must be managed holistically, and NbS enables this by supporting integrated water cycle management at a catchment scale.
These solutions bring together what are currently fragmented efforts to address flooding, drought, and water quality, delivering multiple environmental, social, and economic benefits through a unified, nature-positive approach.
While the move to NbS has been a long time coming, its significance is now undeniable.
Investment has increased from £2.2bn at Draft Determination to £3.3bn at Final Determination for AMP8; a clear signal of the sector’s direction. And this is only the beginning; AMP9 promises to take this further. NbS will drive a seismic shift in how we meet regulatory requirements. Over the next AMP cycle, we will need to pivot from the traditional approach of tackling single issues at point locations to addressing multiple challenges at a broader, catchment scale.
While NbS promises significant environmental benefits, their integration will also demand widespread cultural and technical change, ranging from mindset and skills to finance, operational procedures, and environmental regulation.
To support this shift, the team at Sweco have been working with Anglian Water’s @one Alliance to understand the opportunities and implications of transitioning from traditional ‘grey’ engineering solutions to ‘blue-green’, Nature-based Solutions. The aim of this work was also to help shape how the industry responds to what is set to be a transformative shift in water management over AMP8 and AMP9.
Anglian Water's @one alliance commissioned this pathfinder from their consultant team to aid their understanding as to how they and the internal Anglian Water teams should better integrate and transform ready for the NbS delivery. The pathfinder selected the River Gipping catchment, located in East Anglia for the case study given the number of potential interventions planned across AMP8, which aided comparisons between the traditional engineered solutions and NbS.
The ripple-effect
This industry-leading pathfinder was carried out to support Anglian Water, but the Sweco team believe that many, if not all, of the recommendations have relevance across the wider sector. It’s likely that these themes are also reflected in the Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions programme, supported by the Ofwat Innovation Fund, which is driving change at an industry level.
For once, this transition is being driven by a much-needed alignment of public, political, and regulatory support, reflected in the significant £3.3bn funding allocated for NbS in AMP8. As an industry, we have a societal responsibility to ensure its success. To achieve this, we must resist the temptation to view NbS as too complex or risky and avoid defaulting to traditional ‘business as usual’ solutions.
There will be pressure to do so, driven by the demand for quick, certain outputs that deliver immediate improvements in effluent quality and rely on familiar engineering and environmental approaches. But embracing NbS means committing to long-term, systemic (and systems-thinking) change that will deliver far greater value and outcomes for future generations.
Through the pathfinder, we developed a clear and compelling picture of what needs to change, and what needs to improved for NbS to succeed.
It was evident that NbS still face several hurdles particularly when assessed against today’s conventional benchmarks. Success is currently defined by speed, certainty of delivery, and tangible outputs. But this definition must evolve. To truly reflect the value of NbS, our definitions and measures of success need to be significantly broadened. It should extend beyond purely capital and operational cost efficiency to include wider benefits – such as environmental enhancements, recreational and aesthetic value, and meaningful contributions to the net zero transition.
However, before we accelerate the rollout of NbS and expect a multitude of benefits to be delivered, we must stop and reflect on the complex and fragile condition of the water balance and cycle in each catchment. Every catchment is facing significant and unique pressures shaped by the demands we place on them.
Catchment collaboration
To ensure NbS are effective and appropriate, we need to establish or strengthen catchment working groups; bringing together regulators, technical specialists, landowners, key water users, and the public. These groups will be essential in developing coordinated, cost-effective, and land-sensitive approaches. While many of these groups already exist in some form, many will require connection, reinvigoration, a refreshed focus, or broader participation to meet the challenges ahead.
Over the years, water companies have developed a deep understanding of how catchments function and the pressures they face. However, much of this knowledge remains fragmented; held within disconnected teams and systems. As we begin this transition, one of our key priorities must be to consolidate and integrate this wealth of expertise that already exists within water companies and their supply chains. Unlocking this knowledge will be essential to delivering coordinated, effective, and sustainable catchment-scale solutions.
This approach will bring together:
- Strategy teams (WINEP) and delivery teams
- A deeper understanding of how the operation of water company’s assets impact catchment dynamics
- Skills and knowledge from both potable water and wastewater disciplines
- Design, delivery and maintenance teams, and
- Established stakeholder relationships developed to tackle long-life pollutants in previous AMP cycles
By combining these elements, we can create a more integrated and effective approach to catchment management.
There will be significant pressures, especially in AMP 8, to revert back to traditional engineering solutions, largely because their key benefit is predictability of outputs. For example, conventional solutions can consistently ensure that the final effluent from a Water Recycling Centre (WRC) meets prescribed discharge parameters. In contrast, NbS, by their very nature, depend heavily on environmental conditions.
While they can be designed to meet required targets, their performance will naturally fluctuate with seasonal changes (winter vs summer, wet vs drought) and establishment periods. This variability makes it challenging for the Environment Agency and other regulators to approve NbS under the current regulatory framework. Many NbS schemes are currently permitted only as pilots or under standalone Operating Techniques Agreements.
An opportunity not to be missed
AMP8, therefore presents a critical opportunity to rigorously monitor and capture extensive data on NbS performance. This evidence will be vital to demonstrating their reliability, driving regulatory change, and ultimately reducing the need for lengthy, individual regulatory approvals.
As a sector, Water has the opportunity to collaborate and elevate Nature-based Solutions to match, and ultimately surpass, the reliable position currently held by traditional engineered solutions. These conventional systems have been in use for so long that upgrades and new treatment works can often become operational within a single AMP cycle.
Thinking long-term
With careful planning, design, and scheduling, we can significantly reduce the currently lengthy lead times for NbS to achieve their performance targets and deliver their broader sustainability benefits; many of which today extend across one or more AMP cycles, to a timeframe that is more aligned with operational and investment cycles.
This will require a shift away from a short-term, results-driven approach toward longer-term strategic planning horizons, potentially spanning multiple AMP cycles. Such a change will enable the industry to secure sustained monetary value while delivering significant environmental and social benefits.
A nature-positive outlook
A successful water transition, within the wider Green Transition, is certainly within our grasp. But to achieve this, we must improve a range of our tools and approaches, including:
- Methods for quantifying/incentivising value – Developing better ways to measure and assess the significant environmental and social benefits that Nature-based Solutions provide.
- Understanding catchment pressures and drivers – Gaining a comprehensive view at both water company and catchment levels by involving key stakeholders such as agriculture, regulators, the public, recreation, and industry. This will unlock opportunities for collaboration and cross-funding beyond the catchment scale.
- Systems thinking approach – Moving away from siloed planning to embrace integrated strategies that maximise the delivery of multiple objectives and benefits.
- Data management – Combining catchment knowledge and datasets within a shared GIS platform to support informed decision-making.
- Drivers’ identification – Adopting a strategic approach from the outset to define objectives and potential solutions, enabling a broader range of benefits than traditional engineered solutions.
- Sustainable solutions delivery approach – Transforming our design, delivery, and operational practices to embed sustainability at every stage.
This seismic shift will only succeed if the industry works together with a coherent, joined-up approach. The public rightly demand and expect this from us. It is imperative we succeed, as doing so will safeguard our precious water resources for future generations to thrive and enjoy.