Nature Based Solution
Nature-based solutions aim to help societies address a variety of environmental, social and economic challenges in sustainable ways.
Nitrate
Nitrate, NO-3, is the main nitrogen containing anion occurring in the soil. It is very soluble and moves freely in water through the soil profile.NSWRM
Natural Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRM) are land and water management measures designed to increase the capacity of landscapes to retain, regulate and reuse water and nutrients.
Opportunity cost
Value of those alternatives foregone when implementing a NWRM.Opportunity map
Opportunity map (OM) for water retention is a spatial representation of the potential for different types of Sponge Measures/NWRMs to be implemented in a particular area.
Overland flow areas in peatland forests
Ditch blocking in managed peatland forests can be used to slow water and trap sediment after forest harvesting.Peak flow control structures
Engineered ponds in peatlands that have been ditched to enhance forest production have the potential to retain water in the landscape and trap sediment without adversely affecting tree growth.Permaculture
Permaculture is an integrated approach to sustainable land management that was developed in Australia in 1978 by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. It combines the words 'permanent' and 'agriculture'.
Phosphorus
Phosphates from agriculture are an important contributor to phosphorus loading on water bodies.Process-based restoration
Process-based river restoration is the strategy of reinstating the natural rates and magnitudes of the hydrologic, sediment and wood processes that shape channels, floodplains and riparian zones, so that habitats reco
Rain Gardens
Small-scale depressions used for storage and infiltration, typically at a property-level and close to buildings (e.g. to infiltrate roof drainage at a property level).Rainwater Harvesting
Collecting and storing rainwater for subsequent use ﾖ for example, using water butts or larger storage tanks. - Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European CommissionRe-meandering
In the past, rivers have been straightened by cutting off meanders (historically, many rivers in northern and western Europe have been straightened and channelized to facilitate log floating and/or speed up the drainageReconnection
From the perspective of natural water retention measures (NWRM), reconnection is the process of improving hydrological connection in the landscape, both through linking water bodies and through improving the connectivityReduced stocking density
Reduced stocking density will limit soil compaction, thereby facilitating more rapid infiltration during precipitation events and potentially reducing peak flows and sediment runoff.Reservoir catchment
Afforestation of reservoir catchments can have multiple benefits.Resource cost
The cost linked the economic or relative scarcity of water once it is used.Restoration
Restoration is a management action or set of actions with the aim of restoring natural hydrologic functioning ﾠin the landscape.Retention Ponds
Ponds or pools with additional storage capacity to attenuate surface runoff during rainfall events.ﾠ Retention time of runoff can provide the capacity to remove pollutants through sedimentation and opportunity for biologRevitalisation of flowing waters
In the past, rivers flows have been modified through channelisation, embankments or modification of river beds.Riparian buffers
Planting and maintaining tree cover in near-stream areas can have multiple benefits including erosion and nutrient leaching control.Riparian zone
1) Terrestrial areas where the vegetation complex and microclimate are products of the combined pressure and influence of perennial and/or intermittent water... and soils that exhibit some wetness characteristics.River restoration
River restoration is the set of actions that reinstate natural hydrological and geomorphic processes and reconnect a river with its floodplain and groundwater so ecosystems can self-organise.
Riverbed
The channel containing or formerly containing the water of a river. (Source: BJGEO)