UK Testing Ways to Reduce Flooding and Erosion

UK Testing Ways to Reduce Flooding and Erosion

    
 
January 2007  - The role that farmlands 
and trees can play in reducing the risk of flooding brought on 
by climate change will be explored in a new government funded 
study aimed at pushing the boundaries of policy on flooding 
and coastal erosion. 
"We can't hide from the consequences of climate change," said 
Minister for Climate Change and Environment Ian Pearson, 
announcing funding for six pilot projects on Thursday. "When 
we consider the possibility of higher sea levels and storms of 
greater intensity we have to start thinking differently about 
how to deal with flooding and coastal erosion. 
"This means adapting to the consequences now and developing 
greater resilience," he said. 
British Minister for Climate Change and Environment Ian 
Pearson (Photo courtesy Office of the Minister) 
The six pilot projects are funded by the Department for 
Environment, Food And Rural Affairs, Defra, as part of the 
government's Making Space for Water program. This 
cross-government strategy, launched in 2005, takes a long-term 
approach to flood and coastal erosion risk management. 
The strategy aims to manage risks through a range of 
approaches, which reflect national and local priorities, and 
which combine a reduction in the threat to people and their 
property with the delivery of the greatest environmental, 
social and economic benefit. 
Pearson said £1.5m (US$2.9 million) will be made available 
over the next three years to fund the six pilot projects. The 
pilots are funded from the Innovation Fund launched in 
November 2005. 
"Government has spent some £4 billion (US$7.76 billion) since 
1996/1997 managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion 
faced by communities across England," said Pearson. "But 
climate change will ratchet up the threats faced by 
communities, which is why we need to investigate new and 
different responses to dealing with flooding and coastal 
erosion. 
The six pilot studies are:
  A Collaborative Approach to Sustainable Coastal Land 
  Management. A project of the National Farmers Union, this 
  pilot aims to promote and enable change in land management 
  on the Essex coast by providing groups of landowners with 
  the tools they need to adapt to sustainable coastal 
  management policies and climate change. 
  Strategic planning on the coastline does not take account of 
  the fragmented pattern of coastal land ownership. 
  Geographical isolation makes it difficult for individual 
  landowners to engage with wider policy issues, and they are 
  rarely in a position to make real progress on their own. 
  This project will review existing studies into the future 
  flood management of the Essex coast, and identify coastal 
  strips or management units quick wins are possible. 
  A project officer will then identify groups of land managers 
  in those cells and support them as they explore future 
  options. Solutions will be based on local need and 
  circumstances, and are expected to include opportunities for 
  environmental enhancement such as saltmarsh creation, income 
  streams from alternative salt-tolerant crops, farm 
  diversification and opportunities for access and recreation. 

  The National Farmers Union, NFU, is taking a proactive 
  approach to climate change. 
  The NFU, Forum for the Future, the Country Land and Business 
  Association and the Applied Research Forum have launched a 
  new website to communicate climate change to farmers, 
  growers and landowners across the UK to promote 
  understanding and change from within the industry. 
  The website was launched at the Oxford Farming Conference 
  last week, as part of a one year project funded by Defra’s 
  Climate Challenge Fund under the umbrella title of 
  "Tomorrow’s climate, today’s challenge." understanding and 
  change from within the industry. 
  Weather damage to a grain crop on a British farm (Photo by 
  Ian Britton courtesy FreeFoto) 
  NFU President Peter Kendall said at the launch, "Farmers 
  have long been aware of changing weather conditions and how 
  this impacts their livelihoods. Climate change presents 
  farmers with many new opportunities and this project will 
  encourage them to understand how to mitigate these impacts." 
  understanding and change from within the industry. 
  Jonathon Porritt, founder and director of Forum for the 
  Future said, “Farming contributes seven percent of the UK’s 
  greenhouse gas emissions and as a result of these emissions, 
  farmers are on the front line of adapting to the impacts of 
  climate change." understanding and change from within the 
  industry. 
  “Climate change offers one of the greatest opportunities of 
  the 21st century," said Porritt. "Adapting to and mitigating 
  climate change is not just an environmental issue – it’s an 
  economic opportunity." 
  Farming Floodplains for the Future. This pilot to be 
  conducted by the Staffordshire Washland Partnership aims to 
  enhance land management practices in the Staffordshire 
  Washlands catchment of the Rivers Trent, Sow and Penk. 
  It will encourage economically and environmentally 
  sustainable land use in floodplains that addresses flood 
  risk management through working with the local Sow and Penk 
  Drainage Board. 
  The project seeks to link sustainable land management of the 
  floodplain with the local economy, through farm 
  diversification and ecotourism, as well as maintaining 
  habitats and enhancing the landscape. 
  Restoring Floodplain Woodland for Flood Alleviation. To be 
  conducted by Forest Research, this pilot aims to facilitate 
  the establishment of around 15 hectares of floodplain 
  woodland in the River Laver catchment in North Yorkshire to 
  demonstrate the benefits of this option for flood 
  alleviation. 
  Research work to date suggests that the greater hydraulic 
  roughness provided by floodplain woodland could make a 
  contribution to downstream flood alleviation. 
  The main outcome from this project will be a demonstration 
  of whether floodplain woodland can make a significant 
  contribution to reducing flood risk. A positive result could 
  also provide socio-economic benefits by helping to tackle 
  the increasing threat of flooding faced by many local 
  communities due to climate change, especially where it is 
  not cost effective to construct engineered defenses. 
  Slapton Coastal Zone Adaptation Plan. Slapton is a coastal 
  village in Devon, between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. During 
  2001 storms, the gravel barrier beach at Slapton was 
  severely eroded. The main coast road, which runs along the 
  barrier beach and links local towns, was damaged. 
  The beach at Slapton, Devon is at risk of erosion. (Photo 
  credit unknown) 
  To be conducted by the South Hams District Council on behalf 
  of the Slapton Line Partnership, this pilot project will 
  produce a plan in liaison with local communities for 
  adapting in response to coastal erosion which will affect 
  transport links, environmental and heritage assets and the 
  local economy. 
  Slapton Sands is a five kilometer (three mile) long shingle 
  beach. Behind the beach is Slapton Ley nature reserve, with 
  the largest natural freshwater lake in the southwest of 
  England. The area has several environmental and heritage 
  conservation designations and is a popular visitor 
  destination. The area is also a vital transport link, with 
  the main A379 road running along the beach-head linking the 
  towns of Dartmouth and Kingsbridge. 
  Slapton Sands is very vulnerable to coastal erosion, and the 
  main coastal A-road was closed for several months in 2001 
  following the storms. 
  Defra says recent studies have confirmed that it is not 
  feasible on economic or environmental grounds to defend the 
  road and beachhead from future erosion by engineered 
  intervention. With some limited realignment, the road may 
  survive for at least 30 years, although a major storm could 
  happen at any time. This project will work with the local 
  community to produce a long-term adaptation program to 
  manage the process of responding to coastal change 
  creatively and positively. 
  LiFE: Long-term Initiatives for Flood risk Environments. To 
  be conducted by the Building Research Establishment and 
  Barker And Coutts Architects, this pilot will produce 
  guidance on planning and designing sustainable housing and 
  communities in flood plain areas. 
  This pilot aims to demonstrate the benefits of integrating a 
  number of environmental approaches within developments - 
  sustainability, natural flood mitigation, zero carbon/zero 
  waste in such a way the whole is greater than the sum of the 
  parts. The long-term ambition of the project is to see these 
  ideas implemented across the country, but Defra will not be 
  funding the later stages of this project. 
  Development of an Educational Tool for Sustainable Shoreline 
  Management. To be carried out by the Halcrow Group Ltd, this 
  pilot is intended to develop effective communication with 
  stakeholders and improve understanding of some of the 
  difficult long term issues to be addressed in achieving 
  sustainable coastal management. 
  This project seeks to develop an educational computer based 
  visualization tool, which will allow the user to make 
  various decisions about the management of their local 
  shoreline and then see the consequences on screen. 
  As part of the development of Shoreline Management Plans and 
  coastal defense strategy plans, it has become apparent that 
  many people's expectations regarding long-term coastal 
  defense policies are misguided, says Defra. 
  "There is commonly a call to continue to 'hold the existing 
  defense line,' but this is often based on a perception that 
  the shoreline will continue to look exactly as it does now, 
  even after 100 years or more. In many, if not most, 
  instances, this perception is simply incorrect," the agency 
  says. 
  This computer tool will help to communicate the nature of 
  the likely future changes and the direct impacts that these 
  will have upon coastal communities to planners, local policy 
  makers and the public in a way they can easily understand. 
  "This will facilitate the acceptance and uptake of more 
  sustainable management policies such as managed 
  realignment," Defra says.
"The pilot projects I have announced today are testing out new 
and innovative approaches to deal with flooding and coastal 
erosion," said Minister Pearson. "These pilots will see 
whether we can push the boundaries of policy and test the 
potential of whether these innovative ideas can form part of 
our mainstream policy and delivery."