Developing a method to estimate the costs of soil erosion in high-risk Scottish catchments: final report

Appendix 12. Project dissemination

The project was mentioned in an article in the June issue of the SNH science quarterly newsletters (https://www.nature.scot/snh-science-quarterly-newsletter). The SNH newsletters are uploaded to their website and circulated to a distribution list which includes current and past SAC and Expert panel members, research contacts including past and present PhD supervisors, NGOs and country agency scientists.

“Since the publication of the 2006 State of Scotland Soil report, research activities under the RESAS program have help understand the process driving soil erosion in Scotland and led to improved model of soil erosion risk. However we are still lacking transparent and robust economic analyses costs of soils erosion in Scotland.

Tom and I have been engaged in the steering board of a new Scottish Government CRF funded project looking at developing a method to estimate soil erosion costs in Scotland. The project led by Cranfield University (Prof. Jane Rickson) and the James Hutton Institute (Dr Allan Lilly) is due to be complete in late 2019 and will estimate the costs of soil erosion in Scotland. These costs are incurred by land-based businesses where soil erosion occurs, and by society where soil is deposited ‘off-field’ or in-stream. Understanding the impacts and costs of soil erosion will inform policies designed to value the soil resource.”