Climate and Ecological Crises, Democratisation of Knowledge and the Potential of the Agricultural Internet of Things

Hardly a month passes without news of a "landmark" report on the state of our world. March 2023 saw publication of the latest Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change summarising the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and progress with mitigation and adaptation. This was accompanied by comprehensive coverage globally with news channels highlighting that scientists had delivered a "final warning" on climate with urgent action needed now to secure a liveable future for all. Approximately 3.3-3.6 billion people are estimated to live in environments that are highly vulnerable to climate change; with the report assigning a "high level of confidence" that climate change has caused substantial damage, and increasingly irreversible losses, in terrestrial, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems while reducing food security and water security. Copping questioned "How Precious is our Water", highlighting how drought resulting from extreme weather intensified by the climate crisis contributes to a number of humanitarian crises in Africa and the Middle East. Eutrophication of rivers and other inland waters in areas of high input agricultural systems is another aspect of the water-related ecological crises with farming a major source of polluting nutrients, particularly nitrates and phosphates. In England, for example, despite significant reductions in phosphorous fertiliser use since the 1980s, 55% of assessed river water bodies and 75% of assessed lakes failed the current Water Framework Directive phosphorus standards for good ecological status aimed to prevent eutrophication. Agriculture and rural land management has now overtaken waste water discharge as the most common cause of phosphate pollution. The phosphate issue has led to long delays in determining planning applications in the catchments of sensitive wetland habitats such as the Somerset Moors and Levels in South West England. Such sites are designated as Special Protection Areas and listed under the international Ramsar Convention so new development requires a Habitats Regulation Assessment to ensure there is no additional phosphate loading. Agriculture is also the dominant source of nitrate in water courses contributing about 70% of total inputs in England.