A risk-based approach to prioritise catchments for diffuse metal pollution management

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• Catchment management is crucial for water quality, but diffuse pollution poses challenges due to numerous sources.
• Existing risk assessment methods for diffuse pollution at the catchment level are limited.
• Understanding land-use impacts on water quality is key to effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a risk-based approach for ranking and prioritizing catchments for diffuse metal pollution management.
• To utilize a multi-criteria evaluation framework based on source-pathway-receptor linkages.
• To address the limitations in current diffuse pollution risk assessment at the catchment scale.

Main Methods:

• Developed a multi-criteria evaluation framework for risk assessment.
• Selected criteria and indicators based on source-pathway-receptor linkages.
• Applied the methodology to eight catchments in the Humber River Basin District (RBD).

Main Results:

• Identified Don and Rother, Aire and Calder, and Trent catchments as having the highest risk of diffuse metal pollution within the Humber RBD.
• Successfully applied the risk-based approach to comparatively evaluate multiple catchments.
• Highlighted challenges in selecting appropriate weightings for multi-criteria evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed risk-based approach is effective for prioritizing catchments for diffuse metal pollution management.
• Findings can inform targeted investigations and investment in pollution prevention programs.
• The methodology provides a valuable tool for water resource managers in identifying high-risk areas.