The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL) has launched a collaboratory on sustainable water stewardship, chaired by Lord Selborne, Treasurer of the All Party Parliamentary Water Group. A key strand of work will focus on water allocation through water trading. The water abstraction reform agenda is prominent with the recent launch of the Water White Paper, but this project seeks to generate evidence to inform policy rather than to make specific policy recommendations. Anglian Water is a founding sponsor and is keen to build on previous published work such as A Right to Water and Trading Theory for Practice.
The project is concerned with determining what effective water trading could look like using market forces to enable economic allocation of water resources in supply constrained areas respecting existing environmental legislation.
We have identified two catchments to focus on. East Suffolk CAMS Area (specifically WRMU 13, Upper River Gipping and Lower River Gipping) and Upper Ouse and Bedford Ouse CAMS area.
We are interested in hearing from consortia or single entities who feel that they can deliver this project.