Key Themes (Environment State of the South West 2011)
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Waste
7.1.1 The long-term sustainable management of waste represents an ongoing and significant challenge for the region. Landfill remains the principal method of waste disposal in England, as it is in the South West. We are seeing positive trends towards a reduction in the amount of waste that we produce and the proportion that we reuse or recycle, however, at the present rate of input the region only has six years of landfill life left for non-hazardous waste.
Climate change
7.1.2 Even if we were to stop greenhouse gas emissions now then we will still have to adapt to period of unavoidable climate change over the next few decades due to past emissions. We are already seeing changes in the South West’s climate in terms of increases in average daily mean temperature, increases in winter rainfall, decreases in summer rainfall and more extreme weather events.
7.1.3 Our long and varied coastline will be affected by rising sea levels and more frequent storms, which will result in an increase in risk of flooding for our low lying coastal communities. Around 204,000 properties are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea in the South West, of which 116,000 (57%) are residential and 68,000 (33%) commercial properties. 82% of the residential properties and 66% of commercial properties are in high risk systems. (Environment Agency, 2010). Under climate change scenarios, inland flooding in the 2080s is expected to increase by four to six times compared to present levels.
Water resources
7.1.4 The method used to assess water quality has changed from the general quality assessment (GQA) scheme to a more holistic approach focusing on where action is needed the most, called the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The WFD sets a target of achieving at least ‘good status’ in all water bodies by 2015. At present, all 1,049 surface water bodies in the South West River Basin District have an ecological assessment and 572 have a biological assessment. Interim 2010 results show a marginal improvement over the 2009 baseline classification with 33.6% of waterbodies at good ecological status/potential or better. reflecting the tougher standards introduced by the Directive.
7.1.5 The protection of the quality and quantity of this precious resource is fundamental. The new Water Framework Directive makes provisions for waters used for abstraction, as Drinking Water Protected Areas. These areas have quality objectives and standards with which they must comply, by 2015.
7.1.6 The Environment Agency is carrying out a programme of work to restore abstractions to a sustainable level, while also assessing river waterbodies that are deemed as being at risk for flow, under the Water Framework Directive. An additional 22 sites have been identified and these are now going though a detailed review, for inclusion into the Restoring Sustainable Abstractions programme. It is hoped that by working with licence holders, environmental damage caused by over abstraction can be prevented or reversed.
