Catchment News

EPA Conference Series: Behavioural insights – ASSAP water quality measure uptake (WaterMARKE)

In this presentation, Dr Mary Ryan shares findings from the EPA-funded WaterMARKE project, focusing on farmer-level behavioural drivers, adviser perspectives of the barriers and enablers of uptake of measures by farmers and sectoral collaborations across the water quality protection Innovation System.

WaterMARKE: Water – Mitigating Agricultural impacts through Research & Knowledge Exchange

Achieving water quality improvements in agricultural catchments demands more than technical fixes – it requires behaviour change embedded within a collaborative innovation system. Drawing on findings from the EPA-funded WaterMARKE project, this study explores how pro-environmental behaviours are shaped by farmer capability, social norms, perceived control, and economic context, with the ASSAP (Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme) acting as a key intermediary.

WaterMARKE adopts a multi-disciplinary lens, combining behavioural psychology, spatial modelling, and economic analysis to understand the drivers and barriers to adopting water quality mitigation measures. Our results show that while farmers are positively motivated, adoption is strongly influenced by localised information, peer behaviours, and trusted advisor relationships. Notably, measures requiring higher technical knowledge were more likely to be adopted when accompanied by intensive advisor support—highlighting the importance of tailored, advisor-led engagement.

The Teagasc Agricultural Sustainability Support Advisory Programme (ASSAP) runs a voluntary water quality mitigation programme for farms in areas where water quality is most at risk. A national analysis of over 3,000 ASSAP visits showed high uptake of measures such as buffer strips and fencing in areas where risks and supports were well-identified. However, behavioural inertia persists where implementation costs or knowledge gaps are high.

WaterMARKE research identifies that water quality outcomes are highly spatially variable and context-specific, requiring ‘right measure, right place’ strategies. Integrating behavioural models (e.g., Theory of Planned Behaviour, COM-B) with catchment-specific biophysical and economic data enables more nuanced targeting and support.

WaterMARKE highlights a unique water quality Innovation System collaboration between ASSAP, LAWPRO (Local Authority Waters Programme) and farmers in novel behavioural studies based on ASSAP data, advisers and farmers. This approach facilitated the development of a mission-oriented innovation system, connecting policy, advisory, research, and enterprise actors in co-developing locally relevant solutions. This innovative collaboration is presented as a CAP Network Ireland online case study and in a short YouTube clip (see below). Importantly, we show that innovation systems must also support behaviour change among actors beyond the farm gate – including policymakers, regulators, co-ops, and advisors – to align incentives and build trust. This collaborative approach culminated in the €60m Water EIP initiative, enabling high-impact measures where private costs are outweighed by public environmental benefits.

Case Study

A WaterMARKE case study of the participatory collaborative initiative between LAWPRO, ASSAP and farmers on CAP Network Ireland to improve river water quality in Ireland.

Learn more

EPA Research 482: Mitigating Agricultural Impacts on Water Quality through Research and Knowledge Exchange

Teagasc Farming for water quality ASSAP

WaterMARKE Journal Articles

• Cullen, P., Ryan, M., O’Donoghue, C. and Meehan, N. (2024). Characteristics of water quality mitigation measures that lead to greater adoption on farms. Journal of Environmental Management 358: 120698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120698
• Haydarov, D., O’Donoghue, C., Ryan, M. and Zhang, C. (2024). Local natural capital influences on the spatial distribution of farm incomes. International Journal of Microsimulation 17(1): 1–23. https://doi.org/10.34196/ ijm.00302
• Moloney, T., Fenton, O., Daly, K. (2020). Ranking connectivity risk for phosphorus loss along agricultural drainage ditches. Science of the Total Environment, 703: 134556. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scitotenv.2019.134556
• O’Donoghue, C., Meng, Y., Ryan, M., Kilgarriff, P., Zhang, C., Bragina, P. and Daly, K. (2022). Trends and influential factors of high ecological status mobility in Irish rivers. Science of the Total Environment 816: 151570. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scitotenv.2021.151570
• O’Donoghue, C., Ryan, M., Sologon, D., McLoughlin, N., Daxini, A. and Daly, K. (2024). A generalised behavioural model for greater adoption of pro-environmental farm measures. Journal of Cleaner Production 450: 141631.
• O’Donoghue, C., Buckley, C., Chyzheuskaya, A., Green, S., Howley, P., Hynes, S., Ryan, M. 2021. The Spatial Impact of Economic Change on River Water Quality. Land Use Policy. 103, 105322 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105322
• Di Domenico, R., McSharry, J., O’ Hora, D., Ryan, M., Meehan, N., O’Donoghue, C., 2025. A Novel Mixed Methods Investigation of Farmer Readiness to Adopt Pro Environmental Water Quality Behaviours. Nature – Discover Geoscience (In print)
• Per-Erik Mellander, Roland Bol, Magdalena Bieroza, Edward Burgess, Golnaz Ezzati, Miriam Glendell, Michele McCormack, Phoebe A. Morton, Marc Stutter, Kerr Adams, Russell Adams, Sudipto Bhowmik, Liesa Brosens, Rachel Cassidy, Faruk Djodjic, Patrick Drohan, Tom Drinan, Luke G. Farrow, Lukas Hallberg, Daniel Hawtree, Phil Haygarth, Phil Jordan, Katarina Kyllmar, Emma Lannergård, John Livsey, Viktoria Lovynska, Conor Murphy, Rachael Murphy, Camilla Negri,, David O’Connell, Daire Ó 8 hUallacháin, Paul Quinn, Mary Ryan, Sara Trojahn, Mark E. Wilkinson, Maarten Wynants, Ognjen Zurovec, Bridget Lynch. 2025. Achieving agricultural and environmental targets in a changing climate requires a whole-system based approach. Catchments Special Issue. Nature – Discover Geoscience. In print.
• van Laren, L. R., Ryan, M., O’Donoghue, C., Kilcline, K., Meehan, N., Ryan, C. and Iliopoulos, C. (forthcoming). Improving Water Quality – the Role of Local Actors and Ecological Factors in Mission-oriented Agricultural Innovation Systems (revised and re-submitted – Science of the Total Environment).