Delivering science for sustainable management of catchments and water resources

CEH’s Water Programme provides scientific insights into the processes that determine water flows, water quality and biotic resources in order to assist the sustainable management of catchments and their water resources.

Analysis of observations of the morphology, hydrology, chemistry and biology of lowland and upland rivers and lakes is used to identify trends and evaluate new and existing models. Monitoring, experiments and modelling are used to identify roles of abiotic and biotic processes and interactions in freshwaters, and in the management, conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems. Catchment-scale monitoring and experimental studies aim to reduce the uncertainties in the prediction of environmental change arising from limitations in our current understanding of hydrological feedbacks between the land surface and atmosphere