Addressing the challenges faced by Scotland’s water industry was the focus for a recent event bringing UHI researchers together with regional and national stakeholders.
Water is of central importance to the economy of Scotland. Scotland’s water
sector generates a turnover of £3.7bn and provides 16,600 jobs across the
country. Water resources are also critical to key sectors in
the Scottish economy including, agriculture, food and drink, tourism and
energy. However, with growing pressure on resources, a changing climate and
increasing legislative requirements there are many emerging challenges
associated with drinking water provision, wastewater treatment and resource management.
The University of the Highlands and Islands’ Water Quality Innovation Group
(WQIG) seeks to help address these challenges particularly those faced in rural
and sparsely populated regions of Scotland face particular and in similar
regions elsewhere in Europe and around the world. It draws on expertise from
locations around the Highlands and Islands in the areas of water analysis;
monitoring and assessment; water treatment and remediation and in integrated
catchment management
The event held at An Lochran in Inverness, promoted engagement between UHI and businesses and stakeholders with interests in water quality including producers, users, regulators and funders. The event helped to identify common challenges and opportunities for collaborative working with the ultimate aim of developing innovative new products and services; helping them meet policy and regulatory challenges and to advance responsible stewardship of water resources and to advance the low carbon economy.
ERIs Professor Stuart Gibb, Chair of the WQIG, said of the event ‘it was rewarding to have active engagement from across the water industry on topics as diverse as resources to regulation, from delegates ranging from engineers to ecologist. The event allowed us to collectively identify challenges and opportunities, particularly those impinging upon rural and dispersed populations. We can now target our activity in knowledge exchange and innovation toward addressing these challenges with our community of stakeholders.
Further events are already planned, including one focussed on the distilling and brewing industries.
