River Basin Management Plans in Wales beyond 2027: an alternative water quality improvement framework for setting environmental water quality standards in Wales
Deadline for Applications: 3rd March 2025
Improving water quality is a key priority of the Welsh Government. It is imperative that a regulatory framework which is currently in place is maintained in some form, with potential improvements tailored to needs of our country. This is a priority not only in the context of water policy, but also in the context of the wider environment – healthy waters underpin thriving ecosystems and provide multifaceted benefits to the economy and society.
In order for Welsh Government to develop feasible options beyond cycle 4 of the RBMPs, a thorough review and assessment of WFD is required and in order to aid this process, Welsh Government are seeking to appoint a Research Fellow for a period of between 12 and 18 months. The work will encompass the following:
- Examination of the existing evidence base to identify the elements of the WFD that have worked well and those that have not
- Review of WFD implementation in other European countries
- Identification of best practice in non-EU countries that do not have the WFD to support them, but have separate domestic legislation
- Working with NRW to understand how WFD is implemented by their organisation and identify any limitations the current regulatory regime poses to NRW
- Consideration of how the WFD work can be delivered alongside other WG plans and how it can best deliver against wider priorities
The outcome of this research project will be a series of recommendations that propose an alternative water quality improvement framework post-Cycle 4 of the RBMPs’, i.e. post-2027, and to include the feasibility, risks and benefits to implementation.
In the first month of the contract period, the Research Fellow will be expected to develop a programme plan of work and agree with Welsh Government the outputs over the contract period.
The Research Fellow will report and discuss progress to the project steering group on a monthly basis.
It is anticipated that the outcome of the project will contribute towards one or more research publications submitted by the Research Fellow (as first author) to peer-reviewed journals.
If you are interested in applying for the role please download the following document which provides further details of the post and the application process.