The first Nexus Network workshop Improving decisions at the food, water, energy and environment nexus: values and valuation, led by Professor Ian Bateman from the University of East Anglia, was held on Friday 28 November 2014. The workshop brought together 50 people from government, the business sector and wider society together with researchers in this field to promote understanding and explore practical solutions to the challenges of decision making in this area. Here is a summary of the day, with links to the speakers’ talks and an outline of the workshop activities.
The full report is published here Report from28Nov2014_Nexus NetworkWorkshopValuesandValuation
Morning talks
- Professor Ian Bateman from the University of East Anglia, welcomed people to the workshop and gave an ‘Introduction to bringing values and valuation into decision-making’. Download the pdf of his talk IanBateman_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014
- User needs for valuation, Dr Ulrike Hotopp, Chief Economist, Defra. Download the pdf of her talk UlrikeHotopp_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014
- The wider social science dimension, Dr Simon Maxwell, Defra Social Scientist. Download the pdf of his talk SimonMaxwell_NexusNetwork28Nov2014
- The Future Water Challenge, Jean Spencer, Director of Regulation, Anglian Water. JeanSpencer_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014
Morning workshop: challenges to decision making in the Nexus area
Delegates were asked to start thinking about the challenges they face at the food-energy-water-environment nexus in their work, discussing these challenges in pairs and then with the whole group to see the breadth of challenges and any similarities. Delegates were then asked for their first thoughts on using economic and other approaches to dealing with these challenges.
Short films
Over lunch, delegates were treated to viewings of two short films
- The Bid for Clean Water. This film shows how researchers, South West Water and the Westcountry Rivers Trust worked together with Cornish farmers to reduce river pollution. Watch the film on the LWEC website.
- What does nature do for us? This film follows a public dialogue activity on the value of nature and how this can be accounted for in decision-making. The film is not available yet for public release but more information can be found on the ScienceWise website.
Afternoon talks
In the afternoon, delegates listened to a number of talks from academics, outlining some of the latest research in this area:
- First up after lunch was Dr Rob Fish, from the University of Exeter, talking about ‘Economic valuation in context: Insights from an experiment in public dialogue’. Download the pdf of his talk RobFish_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014
- Professor Chris Starmer, University of Nottingham, spoke on ‘Imprecision and measurement of economic values’. Download the pdf of his talk ChrisStarmer_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014
- Professor Nick Hanley, University of St Andrews, talked about ‘Overcoming challenges in the design of Payment for Ecosystem Service schemes’. Download the pdf of his talk NickHanley_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014
- Professor Brett Day from the University of East Anglia, talked about ‘Using valuations of environmental change to target policy and explain its effects: The best use of UK agricultural land’. Download the pdf of his talk BrettDay_NexusNetworkWorkshop28Nov2014 Dr Amii Harwood from the University of East Anglia demonstrated a live fly-through using a visualisation tool to show where new woodland could be planted in Britain.
Afternoon workshop: response to the challenges and research needs
The aim of the afternoon workshop was to look again at the business and policy challenges in the light of the afternoon’ talks.
Delegates were asked: now that you have heard about some more economic and other approaches in this afternoon’s talks
1a) Have you used any of these approaches already in your work?
1b) Would you like to use any of these approached in your work?
Look at each of the two challenges you selected in turn and discuss in relation to economic or other approaches.
2) What else do you need to know to help you to make the best use of economic or other approaches?
The aim here was to find out any further research questions that would help business or policy to improve their decision-making in nexus issues.
Next steps:
- We will write up the ideas from the workshop into a report.
- The report will be published on the Nexus Network website and we will deliver it to the Economic and Social Research Council as an input to their research programme planning.
- Update on 17 Dec 2014: the report is now published Report from28Nov2014_Nexus NetworkWorkshopValuesandValuation
- The outputs will also be used to inform the Natural Capital Committee dialogue with Research Councils UK and the joint report to government on Nexus research priorities.
Download more information on the event:
- Agenda Agenda_NexusNetworkworkshop_28November2014 (downloads pdf)
- Speaker biogs Speaker biogs_NexusNetworkworkshop_28Nov2014 (downloads pdf)
- Delegate list Delegate list_Nexus Network_28Novworkshopv24Nov (downloads pdf)
Image credit: the delightful design was created by one of the workshop delegates (if you would like be credited in person, please contact Ruth on r.welters@uea.ac.uk).
