Specialist Insight: The UKIA Conference 2022

On Wednesday 6th July, we (Tamsin & Harriet) attended the UK Irrigation Association (UKIA) Annual Conference held in Peterborough. 

We held a stand in the exhibition space of the conference and received a lot of interest in how Envireau Water can support agricultural and horticultural irrigators with water regulation and management issues. It was a great opportunity to meet new faces (and some old ones!) and promote the Envireau Water brand. 

The theme of the conference was ‘Building resilience and sustainability in irrigated agriculture’, with eight talks during the day from experts within the water, environment, and agricultural sectors. We learned a lot about the regulatory changes and water availability challenges affecting irrigators across the UK, which improved our knowledge and understanding required to support our agricultural and horticultural clients with their water management issues.

Lord de Ramsey kicked the day off with a fascinating insight into the significant regulatory and water availability changes that have taken place in the UK since WW2, drawing from his family’s farming experience in the Fens and his roles with the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards. Anne Dacey (EA) provided an overview on the implementation of the Environment Act 2021 and the resulting changes to water resources licensing. 

Harri Condie (EA) and Steve Moncaster (Cator & Co) then talked about ongoing projects to improve water management in East Anglia, specifically the Water for Tomorrow project and the long-term water resources management planning by Water Abstractor Groups. Arjan Janknegt (Rivulus Ltd) presented on precision irrigation systems, particularly subsurface drip, that expand the scope of irrigation methods and incorporate modern technology to optimise irrigation patterns and water use.

Olcay Unver (Arizona State University) delivered an informative presentation on the progress of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation programmes, and the challenges and opportunities of addressing global water management. Ceris Jones (NFU) followed with a perspective on how climate change is impacting on water resilience, agriculture, and global food production. Jack Beard closed the day with a summary of projects and tools designed to identify new ways in which the availability for use of existing water could be maximized through indirect wastewater reuse and ‘nature based solutions’.

The day was ably chaired by Kelly Hewson-Fisher who has recently taken over from Paul Hammett as the NFU Water Resources Advisor and a key feature was the urgent need for greater understanding within the public and government about the criticality of water availability to UK food security.

The takeaway message from the day was that the UK is already facing significant challenges with regard to the availability and reliability of water for irrigation and has done for many years. These challenges are only going to increase with climate change and a growing population. Innovation, education and investment will be key to overcoming these challenges.

About Envireau Water

At Envireau Water, we are a team of expert water scientists and engineers, who provide guidance on the management and regulation of natural water systems across the UK. By working collaboratively with our clients and the regulators, we deliver robust sustainable solutions that meet the requirements of all stakeholders. With an incredibly loyal client base and our ability to work seamlessly throughout the four nations of the UK, many of our clients know us individually and trust us to find resolutions to their water problems for years to come.

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Envireau Water is an RSK Group Company.