The Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), established in 2011, develops and commissions research projects, analysis and synthesis that directly informs ongoing water policy and regulatory processes in Scotland. The Centre is an established and trusted knowledge broker, informing policy, agency and other relevant stakeholders of current understanding and future expected changes across the water sector. All activities are supported by academic excellence and expertise from Scotland’s universities, research institutes and other UK centres. The “here-and-now” delivery within CREW is built around keeping pace with developing and emerging policy challenges, drawing on experts within the water community to deliver timely outcomes. Projects are co-constructed with relevant policy stakeholders to ensure cross-organisational priorities are met. CREW is governed according to key policy areas in Scotland’s water sector including flooding, coastal erosion, catchment and natural resource management, rural sustainability and water quality management. Cross-cutting activities focus on managing impact and adapting to climate change, land use and urbanisation, promoting the circular economy and resource efficiency, a post-COVID green recovery, the move to net zero and a just transition for communities. The Centre has supported EU and national policy development and implementation strategies and Scotland’s ambition to deliver the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals both nationally and internationally. This chapter uses examples to highlight the central principles of the Centre in that the knowledge generated should improve understanding and communication between science and policy, promote improved networking and win-win solutions, and deliver tangible impact and longer-term outcomes for the water environment and society. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Supporting Evidence-Based Water and Climate Change Policy in Scotland Through Innovation and Expert Knowledge: The Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW)