Gonzalez Zapata, Jamie Antonella;
(2025)
The Future of Water Quality Trading in the United Kingdom: Clean Water, Food Security & Sustainable Cities.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This thesis addresses the research gap in water quality trading (WQT) markets within the United Kingdom (UK), specifically focusing on trading between non-point sources of pollution. This thesis develops a novel WQT programme using the mathematical optimisation model General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The WQT model is tailored to the UK and evaluates its application through three case studies. The first case study serves as a proof of concept, applying nitrogen WQT between farmers in the Suffolk region along the River Alde, a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone where fertiliser restrictions are in place. Through voluntary abatement trading, it is demonstrated that nitrogen pollution levels can be reduced cost-effectively, providing farmers with a new income source while increasing catchment-wide benefits and incentivising participation. Building on this foundation, the second case study expands the trading programme to the entire catchment, incorporating additional abatement measures. Results indicate that nitrogen pollution can again be reduced cost effectively, with more stringent policies encouraging greater farm participation to achieve reduction targets. The results demonstrate how WQT can improve food security by reducing agricultural runoff, improving water quality for irrigation, and promote sustainable farming practices that enhance long-term soil fertility and crop yields. The third case study applies the WQT programme to urban developments in London to address nitrogen pollution from new housing developments under Nutrient Neutrality regulations. By trading nature-based solutions, compliance costs are reduced, pollution reduction targets are met, and the economic benefits of boroughs are enhanced. WQT can make urban cities more sustainable by incentivising green infrastructure, reducing stormwater pollution, and promoting collaboration between urban and rural areas to enhance ecosystem health and resilience. While this thesis demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of a UK pollution market, it also highlights limitations, particularly the challenges of enforcing policies and accurately monitoring and measuring pollution reductions from non-point sources. Despite these limitations, the research offers hypothetical results and actionable insights to aid policymakers in designing and implementing future water pollution regulations.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | The Future of Water Quality Trading in the United Kingdom: Clean Water, Food Security & Sustainable Cities |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10206717 |
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