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A major onshore hydrocarbon terminal was constructed on coastal fields at Point of Ayr on the Welsh side of the Dee Estuary which is protected under national and international environmental legislation and conventions as a wetland of major importanceespecially for birds. A scheme is described which was implemented to increase the carrying capacity for waterfowl in an area of farmland adjacent to the terminal. The main method for enhancing the habitat involved bringing a core area of the farm to 'field capacity' (saturation with water) by surface wetting. Various potential water sources for the scheme were explored. The chosen system entailed the collection of rainwater runoff in a system of drains and reservoirs during the winter and the distribution of the water to bunded irrigation areas in the following autumn. The early successes of commissioning experiments are briefly described, and the key issues for further investigation are identified.

There can be a particularly fragile balance between water supply and demand in small island communities (such as Mallorca) which have developed a reliance on tourism. Over‐abstraction has caused an increase in salinity of groundwater resources and has exacerbated a general shortage of fresh water. The island also has important ecological reserves, but such habitats and species are threatened by the development of tourism and intensive agriculture. The paper describes the environmental strategies for water, ecology, agriculture and landscape devised for a proposed new town. These strategies were the basis for integration of other elements, including renewable energy, waste and transport – all designed with sustainable principles. The strategies were incorporated into the winning masterplan for an international competition which was organized by the Govern Balear.

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