Landscape management strategies for the control of diffuse pollution

The control of diffuse pollution is one of the major issues affecting the agricultural landscape. Policies of land use management are now being implemented as a means of improving water quality. The potential success of such policies is difficult to determine owing to the complex nature of the processes controlling the transport of diffuse pollutants such as nitrate, phosphorus and sediment. The use of buffer zones alongside water bodies in the agricultural landscape may offer a greater opportunity both for protecting the water and for increasing the habitat and amenity value of the landscape. The potential value of buffer zones in terms of water quality is dependent on landscape type and suitable design. The design of these features needs to consider the hydrology of both the buffer zone and of the landscape as a whole. In landscapes where the hydrology has been altered, additional measures may be required to establish suitable hydrological conditions. The implementation of a strategy of diffuse pollution control therefore needs to be approached on a landscape basis taking into account the nature of pollutant pathways and areas of high pollution risk.