Windermere Catchment Analysis

After being awarded the UK Space Agency’s Climate Services Grant, we’re proud to bring fresh and novel insights to actively highlight the impact that human activity is having on England’s largest fresh water body, Lake Windermere. 

Challenge

Water pollution from commercial, human and farming activities has led to excessive levels of nutrients entering natural fresh water sources across the UK, causing levels of toxicity that threaten habitat biodiversity and human health.   

Solution

By harnessing the power of satellite monitoring, combined with several other geospatial data sources such as human movement data, the Map Impact Team have provided a catchment-wide view of freshwater management and delivered crucial evidence to demonstrate the mismanagement of natural resources in the Windermere catchment. 

Impact

Working closely with the local community, we have delivered fresh evidence about the state of the Lake, leading to clearer accountability and informing pollution mitigation activities. 

We are committed to ensuring that this data is available to all and is provided transparently and openly.  

“Map Impact’s report, focusing on one of the UK’s most iconic and important lakes, demonstrates how this data can be used to give us clearer information about how the natural resources around us are changing, helping communities and decision-makers take tangible steps towards improving pollution levels and mitigating their impacts” – Dr Paul Bate, UK Space Agency