A range of factors such as production, consumption, transport, recreation and climate affect our common water resources, land and landscapes. There is a need for cost-efficient regulation and management systems, which can limit the negative environmental effects of the different factors without leading to undesirable distributional effects. Both in Denmark, the EU and internationally, there is a strong focus on regulating environmental effects on land and in the aquatic environment. As an example, the EU Water Framework Directive is a common decision that all EU countries must implement new and extensive measures to protect the aquatic environment and ensure that good ecological status is achieved in all fresh and marine waters. Similarly, nature is protected through the Danish Nature Protection Act, the pesticide action plans and the designation Natura-2000 protected areas. In Denmark, there is a significant focus on targeting environmental measures, e.g. by the use of differentiated land management. Because of significant spatial variation in costs and effects of measures, it is important to consider where measures are implemented.

The purpose of this field of research is to analyse and improve our understanding of how water, soil and landscapes affect humans and our well-being, and how these resources can be managed in the best possible way. There are no universal best solutions but sociological, politological and economic analyses can provide valuable knowledge to improve on decision-making. This knowledge refers to different levels from the individual to the level of society: how we as humans impact landscapes and water resources; how our practices can be changed; how welfare changes in response to water quality changes; and how cost-efficient regulatory measures can be identified and implemented.

An important part of the research relates to the development of models, concepts and analytical tools, to enable us to assess future outcomes of different scenarios and policy intervention strategies. Another important source of new knowledge regarding management of water and soil comprise empirical studies of behaviours, practices and beliefs of people.

Some of the more general questions addressed in our work include:

• What are the potentials and barriers in relation to cost-efficient regulation of environmental problems, e.g. pesticide use, nutrients and water quality? Which type of regulation is acceptable and to whom? Is targeted regulation more cost-efficient than non-targeted regulation? How does regulation at different levels (EU, national, regional, local) and regulation in different sectors (environment, transport, agriculture) interact? Are there potential synergies or conflicts between different policy areas and the implementation of policies? What is the value of ecosystem services to humans, and how does this value change when ecosystems change? What is the value of e.g. reaching the environmental targets of by the Water Framework Directive or how does the value of change in recreational possibilities vary across different sites?
• Which practices and behaviours do e.g. individuals, farmers and motorists exhibit in relation to factors significantly affecting the landscape or land use? How can practices and behaviours be changed? How do we as individuals use urban green spaces, and what kind of nature do we create in our urban and suburban gardens? How can citizens and organisations be involved in political decision processes, and which impact will it have on the decisions being made?

Recently completed and on-going research projects dealing with water and soil include the following Danish and international studies:

Biodiversity/ecosystem services/land use:

• Development of concept for analyses and assessments of ecosystem services and goods in Denmark (ECOSYS)
• Mapping of ecosystem services in Denmark (MAES)
• Arguments in favour of biodiversity and ecosystem (BESAFE)
• Effects of air pollution on sensitive land-based ecosystems subjected to climate change (ECLAIRE)
• Economic valuation of soil ecosystem services and incentives for use of sludge and carbon sequestration on agricultural lands (ECOFINDERS)
• Economic valuation of soil remediation on contaminated plots (REMTEC)
• Nordic Centre of Excellence on climate adaptation (NORDSTAR)
• Bottom-up climate adaptation strategies in a sustainable Europe (BASE)
• Transition to a society with limited use of fossil energy (SUSTRANS/BIOSOC)

Aquatic environment and integrated models:

• Optimisation of compensation breeding of mussels for fish feed in the Baltic Sea (OPTIMUS)
• Capacity building, programme development and communication about environmental taxes and budgetary reform in the EU
• Appraisal of the Danish pesticide tax
• Appraisal of economic policy instruments for sustainable management of water resources in the EU (EPI-WATER) 
• Modelling regulatory measures for cost-efficient reduction of nitrogen leaching from Danish agriculture (DNMARK)  
• Modelling cost-efficient regulation of nutrient loads in the Baltic Sea (BALTCOST)
• Development of a cost-minimisation model for regulation of nutrient loads in Danish water basins and economic valuation of water quality changes (IMAGE)
• Analysis of different options for regulation and costs related to using compensation breeding of blue mussels as a means to reduce nitrogen loads in the Limfjord (MUMIHUS)
• Development and demonstration of how concepts for integrated analyses and spatial models can be used to analyse ecosystem services in Europe, and how cost models developed to optimise water quality improvement efforts can be implemented (LIAISE)

Behaviour and practices:

• Smart foods – the demand for organic/locally produced foods within the public sector
• Development and testing of concept for an agricultural pest control decision support system  (MVB decision support)
• Optimisation of the role played by agricultural advisors in a pesticide policy context (Description) 
• Barriers to farmers’ decision-making in relation to pesticide use
• Investigation of how ecosystems in Danish suburbs can be used for climate adaptation and to increase biodiversity, and assessment of nature in the suburbs, people’s attitudes, practices and use (ØKOFORS)
• Analysis of visions for future land use in Europe with a focus on visions for transport and cities (VOLANTE)