UK’s experiences of using numerical modelling to help sustainably handle agricultural diffuse water pollution

Nitrate water pollution, which is mainly caused by agricultural activities, remains an international problem. Too much nitrate in water bodies can cause serious long-term environmental issues and threaten both economic and human health. This presentation introduces the experiences of using numerical modelling to help handle nitrate water pollution in the United Kingdom. Since it is critical to prevent diffuse water pollution from agricultural sources, this talk also covers the ongoing efforts of adopting innovative modelling technologies to help improve water and fertiliser efficiencies and hence farmers’ income, while reducing agricultural activities' adverse impacts on the water environment.