Management concerns both the generation of contaminants and the assimilation of these materials in the soil, landscape and the drainage system. Technical and socio-economic barriers exist which impede the adoption of practices that sustain soil water and climate.
Research is needed to develop solutions to barriers throughout the agri-food system.
At the same time, the development of best management practices for non point source pollution in rural and agricultural areas needs to address the problem of scale. Recent examination of monitoring data from such concerted efforts as the pilot watersheds studied in the Soil and Water Environmental Enhancement Program failed to show the efficacy of practices employed at a watershed scale. A broader approach will need to be developed for other sectors. Identification of the profitability of BMPs compared with current practices needs to be examined. The first project is of two years duration, and will develop a model framework that will allow the effectiveness of BMPs to be assessed from an economic and social viewpoint.