UWE Bristol leads £1m research into agricultural pollution in River Wye

The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) has been awarded £1 million to lead research into agricultural pollution in the River Wye, one of the UK’s most historic and ecologically significant river systems.

Appointed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Welsh Government, the research will work alongside farmers, land managers and local communities to understand agricultural challenges impacting water quality in the River Wye catchment. The three-year project will identify and test the most effective, practical interventions to reduce agricultural pollution entering the River Wye, and to produce evidence that governments and farmers can act on.

Researchers at UWE Bristol will work directly with farmers through a series of living labs on real working farms where practical solutions to agricultural pollution can be developed and tested with the people who know the land best.

This co-design approach is being taken by researchers and funders on the project to ensure on-the-ground change can happen with farmers as partners in the process, not subjects of it.

Dr Rounaq Nayak, Principal Investigator for this project and Senior Lecturer in Farming Systems at UWE Bristol said: "The complexity of the challenges the River Wye faces is real and urgent. But fixing it means engaging with agriculture, understanding the pressures farmers face and building solutions with them, not imposing them. Farmers deserve support and a genuine say in the solutions, not top-down mandates. This project will co-design interventions with farmers, and will also develop a governance model that could be adopted in similar catchment-wide programmes across the country. Getting both of those things right is what this research is really about.”

Dr Nayak leads a multidisciplinary team at UWE Bristol with expertise spanning water quality and monitoring, soil health assessment, nutrient management, and participatory research methods - including the design of inclusive governance systems.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Hartpury University and Hartpury College, which will co-lead the Living Lab activity, while Herefordshire Rural Hub CIC will provide crucial community and farmer engagement. It also draws on a strong network of catchment expertise, with the Wye Catchment Partnership, Wye & Usk Foundation, Rivers Trust, and WyeViz contributing to convening, monitoring, trial design, and citizen science.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “The River Wye is one of our iconic waterways and we need to get to the root cause of these unacceptable levels of pollution. UWE Bristol’s work will give us the vital evidence we need to fully understand the catchment’s unique issues and help us deliver practical solutions to improve our water quality.

“This comes alongside this government’s generational reforms of our water system that will clean up our rivers lakes and seas for good.” 

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies said: “We are determined to clean up our rivers. That’s why I welcome the appointment of the UWE Bristol led consortium to deliver this three year research programme for the River Wye.

“Through collaboration, we will investigate the sources of pollution and, using a ‘living labs’ approach with farmers, land managers and local stakeholders, test practical solutions that improve water quality. The Wye is a Special Area of Conservation, and turning evidence into action to restore this iconic river is an absolute priority.”