The establishment of riparian buffer measures to enhance the delivery of ecosystem services, and the protection of water quality in particular, have been in existence nationally and internationally for a number of decades. These measures include those incorporated under compulsory Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) (and Greening measures) and optional agri-environment buffer measures (e.g. Green Low Carbon Agri-environment scheme (GLAS). (Note: secure link to legitimate websites)