£1 Million ‘Living Labs’ Project by University of the West of England Aims to Tackle River Wye Agricultural Pollution

New research led by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) will look to manage and address water pollution in the River Wye, backed by £1 million in project funding from the UK and Welsh governments.  

UWE will establish ‘living labs’ to examine and assess various approaches to reducing pollution levels in farms, in collaboration with farmers and local communities. The research will develop methods to mitigate pollution in the agriculture sector along the River Wye.

The three-year research will also implement a co-design approach for collaboration to develop effective solutions to improve water quality and limit agricultural pollution, aiming to create a governance model for potential replication across similar projects in the UK.

This research is particularly important, as poor water quality resulting from farm runoff can have a direct negative impact on ecosystems and biodiversity, including fish wellbeing and health. Poor water quality can make them more susceptible to disease and pathogens and potentially cause damage to tissues. It can also hinder the fish reproductively before and after spawning.

To learn more about this research, you can find the full project

announcement here.

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