IT’S OUR WATER?

While Wales's voice has been significantly strengthened since 1999, we still do not have the same degree of control of our natural resources as Scotland or Northern Ireland. Amongst our rich resources is the literal stuff of life – water. Water is likely to be a valuable resource for the people of Wales in future years, and who controls it, one of the key issues, of dispute between Westminster and Cardiff Bay.

The issue of water understandably raises strong emotions and stirs long memories here in Wales. Three years ago Boris Johnson (then solely Mayor of London, but, after May 2015 an MP) started wittering on about a network of canals being needed to carry water from the wet North to the dry South (for the ‘wet North’ read much of ‘Wales).

Now Boris's revolutionary thought, was no new idea, back in 1973, the then Water Resources Board, the government agency (now defunct) produced a major report that advocated building a whole raft of infrastructure to aid the movement of water, not to mention constructing freshwater storage barrages in the Ouse, Wash and Morecambe Bay, using a network of canals to move water from north to south, extending reservoirs and building new aqueducts, not to mention constructing a series of tunnels to link up river basins to aid the movement of water.

The plan for water in 1973

Despite the demise of the Water Resources Board in 1974 (two years before the 1976 drought) and its replacement by regional water management bodies, which were privatised in the 1980’s thise issue has never really gone away. In 2006, the Environment Agency produced a report entitled "Do we need large-scale water transfers for south-east England?", in answer to its own question at the time was ‘no’. 

Yet faced with a prolonged period of drought in the South East of England, DEFRA itself held a drought summit on the 20th of February of 2012. The then Con Dem Government stated that it remained committed to the remaining legislative measures set out in its Water for Life agenda, which later became the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Act.

That is as they say history, but whatever Westminster eventually decides to do in relation to water resources, we in Wales still need to have full democratic control of our own resources. We could begin the process with repatriating control of the Crown Estates and transferring control of lands in (and off-shore) to the Welsh Government in Cardiff. For the life of me I can see no realistic reason why this feudal anachronism cannot be consigned to the dustbin of history. 

This needs to be followed up by taking a long hard look at our water resources and what we get for them and how we can develop them. I see absolutely no reason why the Welsh people cannot fully benefit from any future exploitation of Welsh resources, including our water. We need a whole Wales strategy to develop and to conserve our water supplies and our planning regulations will need to be tweaked or rewritten accordingly. 

Cofiwch Dryweryn

Most people will not be particularly shocked to discover that coincidentally that the Government of Wales Act (2006) thanks to Peter Hain (amongst others) specifically excludes the Assembly from making any laws relating to water supply – hmm – odd that isn't it? 

The bottom line is that our water resources should belong to the Welsh people, not to Private corporations or to the UK Government. Whether or not the new draft Wales Bill to strengthen the powers that we in Wales have over our natural resources and associated planning processes remains to be seen…

FOOD INSECURITY?

Before you can find the solution to a problem you first have to recognise that there is a problem – so rather than talking about ‘Food Security’ we should be talking about ‘Food Insecurity’. Some interesting research produced for Defra by consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) suggests that the UK is likely to be hit by increasingly unstable food prices as the climate is disrupted. The report warns that global production of some foodstuffs is concentrated in a few countries and that these countries are likely to suffer increasing episodes of extreme weather.

Basically what it comes down to is that the effects of climate change abroad will have a far more immediate impact initially on the UK than direct climate change.  PWC has noted in its report that that while there will be some opportunities for the UK from climate change these are likely to be outweighed by resultant problems. Short term opportunities may include the export of technology and reduced shipping costs if the Arctic becomes ice-free (which if the UK retained a merchant navy might have been a real opportunity).

They note that the Arctic looks likely to be a big business opportunity; with research estimates suggesting that it is likely to attract more than £64 billion pounds of investments over the next ten years. Yet the biggest threats remain increased volatility in food prices and possible protectionist measures over food supplies being brought in e.g. India's ban on selling rice. The report warns that as the climate changes, there will be pressure for the UK to increase its aid budgets.

PWC’s report comes in the wake of a recent UK Government Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) which has assessed domestic threats and opportunities and the Foresight study into international climate change. This was based on the UN's "medium CO2 emissions scenario" (where there will only be a 2C maximum temperature increase) which is a target that won’t be met.  Chatham House has described climate change as a multiplier of other threats.

Here in the UK we have already adjusted to the fact that food and fuel prices are already pretty volatile, we don’t like it but we have little choice but to live with it. Yet our respective governments have not adjusted to the new reality and are pretty much carrying on like pursuing the same old policies. It’s time to face up to the fact that  there will be implications at home from environmental change, including water scarcity and extreme weather elsewhere, which will affect food production and the shipment of key resources and that this is something that  looks as though it will get worse.

WATER SOVEREIGNTY?

Cofiwch Dryweryn

Water is going to be a valuable resource for the people of Wales in future years, and who controls it, I suspect one of the key issues. The issue of water understandably raises strong emotions and stirs long memories here in Wales, especially when the likes of Boris Johnson starts chattering on about a network of canals being needed to carry water from the wet North to the dry South (for the ‘wet North’ read ‘Wales).

Now Boris's brainwave, is not a new idea, back in 1973, the Water Resources Board, the government agency (now defunct) published a major report that advocated building a whole raft of infrastructure to aid the movement of water, not to mention constructing freshwater storage barrages in the Ouse, Wash and Morecambe Bay, using a network of canals to move water from north to south, extending reservoirs and building new aqueducts, not to mention constructing a series of tunnels to link up river basins to aid the movement of water.

The plan for water in 1973

Despite the demise of the Water Resources Board in 1974 (two years before the 1976 drought) and its replacement by regional water management bodies, which were privatised in the 1980’s the issue has never really gone away. The Environment Agency produced a report entitled "Do we need large-scale water transfers for south-east England?" (in 2006), in answer to its own question at the time it said no.

Yet faced with a prolonged period of drought in the South East of England, DEFRA itself held a drought summit on the 20th of February this year. The Con Dem Government continues to doggedly pursing its Water for Life agenda, as part of which the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill to be met. The Government has stated that it remains committed to the remaining legislative measures set out in Water for Life and fully intends to publish a draft Water Bill in the coming months.

Whatever Westminster decides to do, we (in Wales) need to have democratically control of our own resources, we could start with repatriating control of the crown estates transferring control of lands in (and off) to the Welsh Government in Cardiff. For the life of me I can see no realistic reason why this feudal anachronism cannot be consigned to the dustbin of history.

This should be followed up by taking a long hard look at our water resources and what we get for them and how we can develop them. I see absolutely no reason why the Welsh people cannot fully benefit from any future exploitation of Welsh resources, including our water. We need a whole Wales strategy to develop and to conserve our water supplies and our planning regulations will need to be tweaked or rewritten accordingly.

Most people will not be particularly shocked to discover that coincidentally that the Government of Wales Act specifically excludes the Assembly from making any laws relating to water supply – hmm – odd that isn't it? The bottom line is that our water resources should belong to the Welsh people, not to Private corporations or to the UK Government.

ROLL-BACK?

You don't have to dig too deep (if at all) to find the less than hidden Conservatives lifted Republican (US) not quite progressive sub-text that sits (still wrapped in watered down right wing republican (US) anti big government rhetoric) behind this Conservative driven right wing coalition government. Cameron's Con Dem's have the Cabinet Office's Red Tape Challenge which was relatively quietly launched in April (2011) which is an on-line only process of asking members of the public (well motivated or not) of re-considering a whole lot of regulations (which give teeth to most laws) and thereby telling the Con Dem's which work and which don't - with the dangled carrot being that the 'burdensome regulations' (laws) will go!

Now don't get me wrong I am no great fan of obsessive and overburdening Governance, but, there is more to this than first meets the eye. One of the pieces of legislation (sorry regulations) that has been 'flagged up' is the Countryside Rights of Way Act (CRoWA) which was passed some ten years ago (and effects Wales and England) and gave access rights (basically the right to roam) to thousands of acres of formerly out of bounds lands to walkers and members of the public. It is (somewhat ironically) difficult to remember how little access people had (even within our National Parks) before CRoWA was passed. The legislation resulted in an increase in the amount of land with statutory permanent access in Snowdonia increased by some 620% and in the Brecon Beacons by some 1,565%.

Obviously that old traditional reactionary (if nearly spun out of sight) streak in the Conservatives would love to repeal this (and no doubt other socially useful) legislation, but the Conservatives (and their Liberal Democrat little helpers) dare not do so openly for fear of electoral damage at the hands of the voters. When the original Act was passed there were some well organised mutterings from some (but by no means all) landowners who did not want people wandering over their land (and no doubt disturbing their game). A number of concerned walking groups are now concerned that there may be concerted attempt from some landowners (and their supporters) to weaken or undermine the CRoW Act, thus enabling the Con Dem's to repeal sections of regulations and re-restrict public access.

If my (and other peoples) interpretation of the way the Red Tape Challenge works is correct then if enough people object too (or flag up enough objections) to specific regulations then they may get specific regulations repealed and any legislation will either be weakened or undermined and become untenable. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has said that this is not the case: 'Defra is committed to enhancing the natural environment and there are no plans to remove important environmental protections' - I won't hold my breath on that one!

CRoWA significantly eased access to many parts of Wales for all of us, with the exception of our rivers (here talk to any canoeist and they will tell you at length how restricted access to our rivers actually is in the 21st century). Rivers aside for another day, what worries me is whether or not the near inert Labour government in Cardiff Bay will even notice any of these potential developments, which could have an impact on walker and tourist generated incomes across the whole of Wales. Nominally at least the spotlight is on health and safety, pensions, equalities, company law, employment related law and environmental legislation, the website is open for comment until September 1st 2011 - so don't say that you have not been warned!