Review of approaches to the provision of recreation opportunities on inland water
John Powell, Nick Lewis, and Carol Kambites explored a range of alternative approaches for managing recreation on inland waterways in Wales. The project, commissioned by the Countryside Council for Wales, undertook a survey of different approaches in European, North American and other countries. A range of management approaches was drawn up for detailed discussion with interested bodies in Wales, including voluntary agreements, permits and licences, financial incentives, zoning and statutory changes. Representatives from thirty-five organisations across Wales were interviewed and qualitative data collected concerning perceptions of the potential applicability in Wales of the options selected.
Analysis revealed widespread belief that some of the proposed management approaches could be utilised for resolving conflicts of interest where they occurred on inland waters. Respondents identified some strengths and weaknesses of the approaches, and clearly indicated that different parts of Wales would require a range of solutions. The work also provided information about the suitability of different management options at local, regional and national scales, and identified potential barriers to implementation. The project ran from October 2006 to February 2007.
