New Funding for Farmers to Enhance Water Resources

Date Published: 27th May 2024

On 22nd April, Defra launched a new initiative to help farmers collaborate on water storage projects, protect against drought, and ensure food security. Farmers can now apply for a  Local Resources Options screening study in their area. Applications are open until 23:59 on Sunday, 16th June.

These studies will assist farmers and growers in understanding the best options to improve their water supply and resilience. Potential solutions include farm storage reservoirs, water rights trading, and rainwater harvesting. The scheme provides funding for groups of farmers to explore various water management strategies together.

The funding will be used to hire water resource consultants who will identify, screen, and rank local water resource options using a methodology developed by the Environment Agency (EA). The EA will oversee the fund, procure the contractors for each study, and manage the process.

For more details, visit the Defra Farming Blog.