Artificial wetland buffer zones to reduce groundwater pollution by pesticides from drainage systems: an innovation in progress?

Abstract

Pesticides carried off by surface runoff or tile drainage systems can be mitigated through "buffer zones" such as buffer strips and artificial wetland buffer zones. Buffer strips can be qualified as successful innovations since they progressed from an experimental stage to their adoption in the regulatory texts and by the farmers. Artificial wetlands buffer zones, still at the experimental stage in France, have required a compromise between a technical optimum and the requests of the farmers to be implemented for a first time. From an ex-post perspective for buffer strips and an ex-ante evaluation for constructed wetlands, this study analyses their transition from the concept phase to their appropriation by users. Those two devices follow each a different deployment approach but the implementation of a binding regulation, still not established for artificial wetland buffer zones, is the common denominator.