NERC Freshwater Quality Programme
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) have appointed Professor Joseph Holden and Professor Pippa Chapman as Freshwater Quality Champions and leaders of this new programme that will study water quality of UK rivers.
The four year NERC programme will run from 2022 to 2026, and is titled ‘Understanding changes in quality of UK freshwaters’, aims to:
- investigate how pollutants enter, leave and interact with rivers and supporting ecosystems
- determine how the movement of pollutants will be modified with changes in the water cycle
- create better tools to monitor and measure pollution.
The programme will oversee five different research projects, each focusing on a different aspect of water quality. Each project will be interdisciplinary and bring together a range of experts needed to deliver the integrated and cross sectional research required.
- Receive an invitation to the programme's webinar series and receive a newsletter by joining our mailing list.
- Follow the programme on Channel X.
Monthly Webinar Series
Join a monthly series of webinars on a range of related topics organised by the Champions Team, which are designed to help promote communications and interactions between researchers, the policy community, business and practitioners who can all shape future UK freshwater quality. See Events below for more information on the speakers.
Each webinar includes a 30 minute presentation with time for questions afterwards. The presentations are recorded - watch the up-to-date playlist here.
This short film provides an introduction to the aims of the programme:
Research Projects
Projects
News
UK Freshwater Quality Programme - Autumn News 2024
The UK Freshwater Quality Programme Autumn newsletter is now published. The Freshwater Quality Programme Autumn 2024 newsletter, has been produced by the Champion team based in water@leeds. The newsletter provides updates from the Champion team and the five nationwide research projects within the NERC funded programme, which each focus on different aspects of water quality. To receive...
UK Freshwater Quality Programme News
The UK Freshwater Quality Programme Spring newsletter is now published. The Freshwater Quality Programme Spring 2024 newsletter, has been produced by the Champion team based in water@leeds. The newsletter provides updates from the Champion team and the five nationwide research projects within the programme, which each focus on different aspects of water quality. To receive future newsletters...
New research will help to secure the future of our rivers
Helping to improve our understanding of the changing nature of the quality of the water in our rivers is Professor Susan Waldron, Director of Research and Skills, Natural Environment Research Council. In this blog shared below she dives into the reality of river pollution and how it is more than just sewage spills. In New...