I
Immediate downstream
Relates a surface water body to another that is immediately downstream of it.

Immediate upstream
Relates a surface water body to another that is immediately upstream of it. A water body may have more than one water body immediately upstream of it as it may lie downstream of a water body confluence or may have several tributaries feeding into it.

Impact assessment
An Impact Assessment was produced in 2015 to accompany the second cycle river basin management plans. The evidence presented in the 2015 Impact Assessment will be updated and presented in a National Economic Assessment to accompany the third-cycle river basin management plans.

Innovative Funding
Innovative Funding is a term that is often, informally used to describe a whole raft of funding options outside the traditional mainstream funding routes (e.g. government Grant in Aid funded programmes or traditional regulatory mechanisms) such as Green Bonds, and Market Based Mechanisms.

Inshore fisheries and conservation authorities
As a result of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities replace Sea Fisheries Committees and have strengthened powers to tackle fishing practices that cause unacceptable damage to the wider marine environment.

Integrated coastal zone management
An informal process of people and organisations working together to manage coastal areas - both on the land and at sea. It can harmonise different policies, planning and decision - making structures and bring people together to tackle common issues.

Integrated river basin and coastal management
A process whereby all pressures in a catchment are assessed and action undertaken in an integrated, proportionate and efficient way. A range of stakeholders are involved in the setting of priorities and their ultimate delivery.

Invasive non native species
Many species of plants and animals have been introduced to this country. Several of these non-native species are invasive and have been causing serious problems to the aquatic and riverine ecology and environment. Problems include detrimental effects on native species, deoxygenation of water causing fish mortalities, blocking of rivers and drainage channels, predation and competition with native species, and in some cases pose health risks to the public or livestock.

L
Lagoon
Indicates that a coastal water is a lagoon. A Lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier sands or reefs.

Lake
A body of standing inland surface water.

Large
A property indicating whether a river or lake is considered large. Rivers with a catchment area greater than 50,000 km²; or rivers and main tributaries that have a catchment area between 5,000 km² and 50,000 km². Lakes that have a surface area greater than 500 km² are large.

Less stringent objectives
Under certain circumstances, and subject to the detailed conditions in Regulation 17 of The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 allows for the setting of objectives that give a lower standard of environmental protection. ‘Less stringent objectives’ can apply to water bodies where achievement of objectives would be technically infeasible, disproportionately expensive or because of its natural condition.

Local development frameworks and plans
Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, local plans and unitary development plans in England were replaced by Local Development Frameworks. These are made up of a number of statutory and non-statutory local development documents. In Wales, they are called Local Development Plans.

Low alkalinity
An allowable value for the description of the alkalinity of a water body

Low altitude
A property of a river or lake water body that lies below 200 metres above sea level

M
Macro-tidal
A property of a transitional or coastal water body with a tidal range greater than 5 metres

Macroalgae
Multicellular algae such as seaweed.

Macrophyte
Larger plants, typically including flowering plants, mosses and larger algae but not including single-celled phytoplankton or diatoms.

Main
A property identifying main rivers and lakes, i.e. rivers that have a catchment area greater than 500 km² and lakes that have a surface area greater than 10 km²

Management catchment
Management catchments are hydrological management areas. They are built up from river water body catchments into similar sized management units, of a scale that suits management and planning from an Environment Agency perspective. All the land area of England and Wales is divided into management catchments, so they include the coastline as part of their definition. They do not have a formal statutory reporting role.

Management catchment
An amalgamation of a number of river water body catchments that provide a management unit at which level actions are applied.

Marine Conservation Zone
Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Marine Conservation Zones conserve the diversity of nationally rare, threatened and representative habitats and species

Marine Management Organisation
Created by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the Marine Management Organisation license, regulate and plan activities in English seas so that they're carried out in a sustainable way.

Marine Policy Statement
The Marine Policy Statement (MPS) is the framework for preparing Marine Plans and taking decisions affecting the marine environment.

Marine Strategy Regulations 2010
The Marine Strategy Regulations 2010 transpose in law in England and Wales the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. It provides a framework to allow co-ordinated action to achieve Good Environmental Status and provides the tools to achieve clean, healthy, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas

Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
An act to ensure greater protection of marine resources and to deliver sustainable development in the marine and coastal environment by addressing both the use and protection of marine resources.

Marine pollution monitoring management group
Group comprising government departments, agencies and government research institutions. They co-ordinate a United Kingdom programme of estuarine and coastal monitoring designed to satisfy a number of requirements including trend monitoring for the Oslo and Paris Convention, and international conventions, local needs and for research and development.

Measure
This term is used in domestic legislation. It means an action which will be taken on the ground to help achieve the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 objectives.

Mechanisms
The policy, legal and financial tools which are used to bring about actions (measures). Mechanisms include for example: legislation, economic instruments; codes of good practice; negotiated agreements; promotion of water efficiency; educational projects; research; development and demonstration projects.

Medium
A property of a catchment that indicates its area is in the range 100-1000km²

Meso-tidal
A property of a transitional or coastal water body with a tidal range between 1 and 5 metres

Micro-tidal
A property of a transitional or coastal water body with a tidal range of less than 1 metre

Middle altitude
A property of a river or lake water body that lies between 200 and 800 metres above sea level

Moderate alkalinity
A property of a water body that indicates that it is of moderate alkalinity.

Moderately exposed
An property of a coastal water body indicating the degree of exposure to waves

Monetised benefits
Benefits can be quantified in financial terms using different economic valuation techniques. The reason that (some) benefits need to be quantified in monetary terms is in order to compare like with like (costs in £ with benefits in £). In addition to recreational services and existence and aesthetic values, the ecosystem services (see 'Ecosystem Services') provided by wetland creation are also monetised in the catchment economic appraisals that the Environment Agency has carried out. The Environment Agency is using economic tools and studies to understand how much people value a change in the non-market benefits that the water environment provides. The method the Environment Agency has used to monetise benefits in catchment economic appraisals is based on the use of surveys asking people to state how much they would be willing to pay for an improvement in the water environment (locally and nationally). See 'Willingness to pay (values)' and 'National Water Environment Benefits Survey'.

Morphology
Describes the physical form and condition of a water body, for example the width, depth and perimeter of a river channel, the structure and condition of the riverbed and bank.
Back to top

N
National
This term refers, in the consultation, to England. The Environment Agency covers the whole of England and is the competent authority for the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.

National Water Environment Benefits Survey
Assessed public values for improvement to six components of a healthy water environment: fish, plants, invertebrates and other animals, clarity of the water, flow and condition of the channel, and safety of the water for recreational contact. A sample of 1,500 people were interviewed to find out what was the most they would be willing to pay for an improvement in the quality of the water environment, both locally and nationally. The result was a set of figures known as ‘Willingness to Pay’ values (see 'Willingness to pay'). These figures reflect the value that people attach to improvements in recreation and aesthetic benefits from the water environment, as well as the value they place on it existing, even if they don’t directly use it. Reference: P. Metcalfe (2012). Non-market valuation using stated preferences: Applications in the water sector, Thesis submitted to the Dept. of Geography and Environment, the London School of Economics & Political Science.

Natural England
The government-funded body whose purpose is to promote the conservation of England’s wildlife and natural features. The previously existing organisations English Nature, the Countryside Agency and Rural Development Service were merged to form Natural England.

Natural Flood Management (NFM)
Natural Flood Management (NFM) or Working with Natural Processes (WWNP), as it is also known, aims to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk by implementing measures that help to protect, restore and emulate the natural functions of catchments, floodplains, rivers and the coast. Nature Flood Management aims to reduce the maximum water volume of a flood (the peak flood flow) and/or delay the arrival of the flood peak downstream increasing the time available to prepare for floods.

Natural Processes
Those processes over which people have no significant control (such as wind and waves).

Natural Resources Wales
Welsh Government Sponsored Body whose purpose is to ensure that the natural resources of Wales are sustainably maintained, enhanced and used, now and in the future.

Natural capital
Natural capital is the country’s stock of ‘environmental assets’ such as water, soil, air, and minerals that provide valuable goods and services (benefits) to people such as providing clean air and water, food and recreation as well as supporting sustainable economic growth.

Nature Recovery Network (NRN)
The Nature Recovery Network (NRN) is a major commitment in the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. It aims to bring together partners, legislation and funding, in order to restore and enhance the natural environment.

Nature based solutions
Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions. Nature-based solutions must therefore benefit biodiversity and support the delivery of a range of ecosystem services.

Net present value
Net present value is the present value benefits minus the present value costs (see 'Present value costs/benefits').

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
A Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) is designated where land drains and contributes to the nitrate found in “polluted” waters

Nitrates directive
A basic measure under the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 aims to protect water quality by preventing nitrates from agricultural sources from polluting ground and surface waters and by promoting the use of good farming practices. Also underpinned by the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015.
No deterioration (in water body status) Where none of the quality elements used in the classification of water body status deteriorates to the extent that the overall status of the water body is reduced. This is referred to as 'preventing deterioration' throughout the consultation.

Non monetized benefits
Improving the water environment has wider benefits than those the Environment Agency has monetized in catchment economic appraisals (see 'monetized benefits'). These have been identified using ecosystem services (see 'Ecosystem Services'). The impacts on ecosystem services may be positive or negative and more or less significant. Although not monetized in an appraisal, these impacts are taken into account when assessing the overall positive and negative consequences of implementing measures to improve the water environment.

Not designated artificial or heavily modified
A description of a water body that has not been designated as artificial or heavily modified. In other words, it is substantially natural in character.

Nutrient neutrality
Where Habitat protected sites are in unfavorable condition due to excess nutrients, projects, and plans should only go ahead if they will not cause additional pollution to sites. They can demonstrate this through “nutrient neutrality”. This means that new residential development can only happen if the nutrient load created through additional wastewater from the development is mitigated. This typically involves creating new wetlands to strip nutrients from water or creating buffer zones to revert to nature. This has had a significant negative impact on the number of homes granted planning permission in affected areas.

Nutrient sensitive areas
Includes nitrate vulnerable zones under the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015 and Sensitive Areas involving eutrophication or elevated nitrates under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994. See 'protected areas'.

O
Objective
The planned status of a water body must be achieved or maintained. There are three different status objectives for each water body. These are the Overall status objective, Ecological status or potential objective, and Chemical status objective. These are always accompanied by a date by which the objective will be achieved. Ecological status (or potential) objectives will be derived from the predicted outcomes for the biological elements and physico-chemical elements, plus any reasons for not achieving good ecological status (or potential) by 2027. Chemical status objectives will be derived from the predicted outcomes for the chemical elements plus any reasons for not achieving good chemical status by 2027. Overall status objectives will be derived from the ecological status and chemical status objectives.

Operational catchment
An amalgamation of a small number of river water body catchments. Operational catchments are smaller units, as a rule, than management catchments. They are used in the economic analysis process to identify packages of measures that can be applied to improve the ecological status of the water bodies within it

Organic
The dominant geology of an area underlying a river or lake water body is organic e.g. peat

Oslo and Paris Convention
The 1992 Oslo and Paris Convention is the current instrument guiding international cooperation on protecting the marine environment of the North East Atlantic. It combined and updated the 1972 Oslo Convention on dumping waste at sea and the 1974 Paris Convention on land-based sources of marine pollution. The work under the convention is managed by the Oslo and Paris Commission, made up of representatives from the Governments of the 15 Contracting Parties and the European Commission.

P
Periodic review
This is the process, carried out every five years by the Water Services Regulation Authority, to assess the water company's business plans, including spending and investment. The plans include environmental improvements. The process is to ensure that water companies provide a good quality service and value for money for their customers. The outcome affects customers' water bill charges. During implementation of the business plan, it is often known as an Asset Management Plan.

Phytobenthos
Bottom-dwelling multi-cellular and unicellular aquatic plants such as some species of diatom.

Phytoplankton
Unicellular algae and cyanobacteria, both solitary and colonial live, at least for part of their lifecycle, in the water column.

Place-based approach
An approach that takes into account the specific requirements and issues related to a specific location or area, such as a river catchment.

Planning policy statements
Planning Policy Statements, produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister), set out the government's national policies on different aspects of land use planning in England.

Point source pollution
Pollution arises from an identifiable and discrete source such as a discharge pipe.

Pollution
The direct or indirect introduction, as a result of human activity, of substances or heat into the air, water or land which: (i) may be harmful to human health or the quality of aquatic ecosystems or terrestrial ecosystems directly depending on aquatic ecosystems; (ii) result in damage to material property; or (iii) impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment.

Present value costs/benefits
A way of expressing the value of costs and benefits that will happen in the future in today’s money. People tend to value future costs and benefits differently to benefits and costs occurring in the present. A technique known as ’discounting’ takes this into account and expresses what a future impact is worth now.

Pressures
Human activities such as abstraction, effluent discharges, and engineering works have the potential to have adverse effects on the water environment.

Prevent and Limit
To enact requirements of the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration, all necessary and reasonable measures must be taken to prevent the entry of hazardous substances into groundwater and limit the input of non-hazardous substances to avoid Pollution.

Priority substances
A pollutant, or group of pollutants, presenting a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment that has been identified at the Community level under Regulation 22 of the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017. They include ‘priority hazardous substances’. For groundwater, see Hazardous substances.

Programme of measures
A Programme of Measures, as used in the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017, is a summary of the actions designed to improve the environment in a river basin district and meet the objectives of the Regulations.

Protected areas
Areas designated as requiring special protection under Regulation 10 Water of the Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 for the protection of their surface water and groundwater or for the protection of habitats and species directly dependent on water.

Q
Quality element
A feature of an aquatic ecosystem that can be described as a number for the purposes of calculating an ecological quality ratio, such as the concentration of a pollutant and the number of species of a type of plant.

R
Ramsar site
A wetland area designated for its conservation value under The 1971 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as a Waterfowl Habitat. The Ramsar Convention seeks to promote the conservation of listed wetlands and their wise use.

Reason for not achieving good status
Records the source, activity and sector involved in causing an element to be at less than good status. Previously known as a reason for failure.

Reference conditions
The benchmark against which the effects on surface water ecosystems of human activities can be measured and reported in the relevant classification scheme. For waters not designated as heavily modified or artificial, the reference conditions are synonymous with the high ecological status class. For waters designated as heavily modified or artificial, they are synonymous with the maximum ecological potential class.

Regional spatial strategies
These are frameworks in England controlling development across an area or region (for example for tourism, planning, waste, minerals, energy).

Representative point
Relates a water body to a representative point. A representative point is a point in and near the middle of the water body, usually expressed as a National Grid Reference

River
A description for a type of water body

River basin
A river basin is the area of land from which all surface run-off and spring water flows through a sequence of streams, lakes, and rivers into the sea at a single river mouth, estuary, or delta. It comprises one or more individual catchments.
River basin district
 

A river basin or several river basins, together with associated coastal waters. A river basin district is the main unit for the management of river basins under The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.

River basin management plan
For each river basin district, the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 require a river basin management plan to be published. These are plans that set out the environmental objectives for all the water bodies within the river basin district and a summary of the program of measures that will be taken to achieve those objectives. The plans will be based on a detailed analysis of the pressures on the water bodies and an assessment of their impacts. The plans must be reviewed and updated every six years.

River basin planning
The management and associated planning process underpins the implementation and operation of the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017. It is both an overarching process in terms of existing processes and also defines new sub-processes, such as those for hydromorphology.

Rivers trusts
Charities and organizations are set up to assist in the conservation, protection, and improvement of rivers and associated environments.

Rural development programme
The England Rural Development Programme and the Rural Development Plan for Wales are schemes in the Government’s Public Incentive Programme. These programs are of major significance for rural land management as they provide substantial funding to land managers conditional on the implementation of environmental (and other) actions.
Back to top

S
Safeguard zones
Drinking water safeguard zones (SgZs) are areas where additional voluntary measures are needed to reduce the risk of deterioration in raw water (e.g. rivers, reservoirs, groundwater) where that water is intended for human consumption.

Salinity classification
A property of coastal water body to a classification of its salinity.

Saturated zone
Subsurface rock or other geological strata within which the pore spaces between the particles of rock or other strata, and the cracks in those strata are filled with water.

Shallow
A property of a lake water body that is less than or equal to 3.0 meters deep
 

Shellfish Waters Directive
The Shellfish Waters Directive was repealed in 2013 by the Water Framework Directive and is now covered by the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017

Sheltered
A property of a coastal water body indicating the degree of exposure to waves

Siliceous
The predominant geology underlying a river or lake water body is siliceous (e.g. sandstone)

Site of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
An area of land notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 by the appropriate nature conservation body (Scottish Natural Heritage in Scotland) as being of special interest by virtue of its flora and fauna, geological or physiogeographical features.

Small
A property of a river water body having a catchment area of 10-100 km².

Spatial planning
Spatial planning is wider-ranging than land-use planning, which is based on regulation and control of land. It aims to ensure the best use of land by assessing competing demands. Social, economic, and environmental factors are taken into account in producing a decision that is more conducive to sustainable development.

Special area of conservation (SAC)
A category of European site that is designated under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 See 'protected areas'

Special Protection Area (SPA)
A category of European site that is designated under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 See 'protected areas'

Specific Pollutant
A substance identified as a potential pollutant. These substances and associated EQS are proposed in the UK by the UKTAG and introduced into legislation by the government.

Stakeholder
Individuals or groups that are or could become interested in, involved in or affected by Environment Agency policies and activities. The Environment Agency's stakeholders include regulators, statutory bodies, professional organizations, local organizations, and members of the public.

Stakeholder forum
A group of interested parties to guide and advice on river basin planning and management.

Summary of significant water management issues
This is a consultation on a report for each river basin district, which highlights significant water management issues in that river basin district that will need to be addressed to achieve environmental objectives under the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017. See 'Challenges and choices' consultation'

Surface water body
A significant area of surface water

Surface water transfer
A description of artificial bodies of inland water built for the transfer of water from one water body to another that, for the most part, are on the surface of the land but which may be underground for part of their course. Surface Water Transfers are not defined by the Water Framework Directive — they are a sub-type of the river used within the Environment Agency.

Surface waters
Generally refers to water bodies above the ground (i.e. not including groundwater)

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)
A system of management practices and control structures designed to drain surface water in a more sustainable fashion than some conventional techniques.

T
Technical feasibility
Technical feasibility is determined through the assessment of whether the implementation of a measure or programme of measures designed to achieve the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 objectives is technically possible either at the national or local level and includes the consideration of uncertainty as well as environmental and socio-economic feasibility. Technical feasibility depends upon the availability of a technical solution and information on the cause of the problem and, hence, the identification of the solution.

The Water Services Regulation Authority
The economic regulator for the water and sewerage sectors in England and Wales. Commonly known as Ofwat and previously called Office of Water Services. Renamed the Water Services Regulation Authority. a) abstraction, impoundment, storage, treatment, and distribution of surface water or groundwater; and (b) wastewater collection and treatment facilities that subsequently discharge into surface water.

Tidal range classification
Used to classify tidal ranges of water bodies.

Transitional Water
A surface water body in the vicinity of a river mouth that is partly saline in character as a result of its proximity to coastal waters but that is substantially influenced by freshwater flows. Also known as estuaries.

Transitional water
The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 term for transitional waters is 'bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partly saline in character as a result of their proximity to coastal waters but are substantially influenced by freshwater flows'. Transitional waters include estuaries and saline lagoons.

Typology
The means by which the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 requires surface water bodies to be differentiated according to their physical and physico-chemical characteristics.
Back to top

U
UK Marine area
The “UK marine area” includes the territorial seas and offshore area adjacent to the UK, which includes the area of sea designated as the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (the Renewable Energy Zone until the Exclusive Economic Zone comes into force) and the UK sector of the continental shelf. It includes any area submerged by seawater at mean high water spring tide, as well as the tidal extent (at mean high water spring tide) of rivers, estuaries, and creeks. See Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 S42 (3) and (4).

Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994
Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994 transpose into law for England and Wales the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). A basic measure under the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 which lays down minimum standards for the provision of sewerage systems and sewage treatment. Its objective is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of urban wastewater discharges and wastewater discharges from certain industrial sectors.

uPBT (ubiquitous, Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic substances)
A subset of priority substances (uPBTs) that have been identified under the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.

V
Very shallow
An allowable value for the description of the depth of a lake water body

W
Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017
The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 transpose into law, for England and Wales, the Water Framework Directive as well as aspects of the Groundwater Directive and Environmental Quality Standards Directive

Water Framework Directive objectives
The objectives set out in Regulation 12 and Regulation 8 of the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017

Waterbody
A unit of surface water is the whole (or part) of a stream, river or canal, lake or reservoir, estuary, or stretch of coastal water. A groundwater water body is a defined area of an aquifer with geological and hydrological boundaries to ensure consistency and avoid fragmentation

Water level management plans
Water level management plans provide a means of balancing and integrating water level requirements for a range of activities, including agriculture, flood defence, and conservation.

Water protection zones
Water protection zones are areas designated by the Secretary of State within which activities polluting the water environment can be restricted or forbidden. They can be designated at any scale (sub-catchment, catchment, or a larger area), and restrictions are enforced to combat point and/or diffuse sources of water pollution.

Water services
All services provide, for households, public institutions, or any economic activity:

Water table
For groundwater, the upper limit of the saturation zone.

Water use
Water services, like any other human activity, significantly impact the status of water.

Weight of evidence
A weight-of-evidence approach integrates results or evidence from several data sources, weighted appropriately, to make risk-based decisions.

Welsh Government
The devolved government in Wales.

Welsh technical advice notes
Planning Policy Wales (2002) sets out the land use planning policies of the Welsh Assembly Government (the Assembly Government). It is supplemented by a series of topic-based Technical Advice Notes (Wales). Technical Advice Notes may be material to decisions on individual planning applications and will be taken into account by the National Assembly for Wales and planning inspectors in the determination of called-in planning applications and appeals.

Willingness to pay (value)
The value (in pounds) society is willing to pay for the continued provision of a good or service or for a change in the good or service. In the context of river basin management planning economic appraisal, this is an environmental good or service. The willingness to pay values the Environment Agency has used in catchment economic appraisals are derived from the National Water Environment Benefits Survey (see 'National Water Environment Benefits Survey'.

Working with natural processes (WWNP)
Working with natural processes (WWNP) takes many different forms and can be applied in urban and rural areas, and on rivers, estuaries and coasts. Different terminology such as soft engineering, green infrastructure, sustainable drainage and runoff attenuation may also be used to describe the techniques used. See Natural Flood Management.