ECOEStuaries

ECOEStuaries

Amy PryorProject Manager, Thames Estuary Partnership

• Vision for the GTM NIA – a living and vibrant marshland and estuary landscape where the skills and enthusiasm of residents, visitors, businesses and technical experts are harnessed to work in partnership, delivering more for wildlife, more public understanding and enjoyment of the environment and greater resilience by the natural world to the changes brought about by development and climate change

• Legacy – four external bids for projects that complement NIA objectives.• Resource from the NIA – professional bid writer

• Catchment Partnership for the tidal Thames since 2012

• Delivering EU WFD through CaBA – community led river management

• Lack of habitat is a limiting factor hindering achievement of GEP

• Difficult to deliver river restoration on a busy, working, engineered estuary running through the most densely populated urban area in Europe.

• A greater complexity and number of stakeholders

• A huge geographical area• Collaboration and

engagement at multiple levels required

• Only opportunities lie with working with the planning system – needs engagement and staff resource

• Funding for coordination/engagement is scarce

Challenges to CaBA on Estuaries

WFD Morphological Investigation ResultsThames Upper

WFD Morphological Investigation ResultsThames Middle

WFD Morphological Investigation ResultsThames Lower

WFD Morphological Investigation ResultsSense checked with TE2100

The EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation

• Research focussed with case studies for delivery

• UCL ERIO

• 100% funded; €5-7M

• Consortia – minimum 3 MS, industry and academia

Horizon 2020

H2020 & TEAM2100

We sought to explore whether and how we could align our project with the delivery of TEAM2100 sites so that we can:

• Contribute to flood defence objectives to use natural processes where possible

• Ensure that the Thames becomes an international case study for delivering best practice in multi-functional managed realignment, riverwall habitat creation and floodplain habitat creation.

• Share information and exchange knowledge across all sectors, Europe wide

• Extend and strengthen the scope of ecosystem service evaluation at a range of scales

Adding Value to Development and Flood Defence

• Fully funded research to monitor and evaluate habitat creation sites before and after at a range of scales

• Pilot tools and techniques for delivering multiple uses and benefits• Quantify ecosystem services to provide evidence to inform the

economics of ecosystem based management• Raise awareness of the environmental and societal value of the estuary• Influence the design of future managed realignment projects in the UK

and internationally for optimised habitats and biodiversity• Evaluate stakeholder perceptions of flood defence schemes to reduce

negative perceptions• Disseminate learning throughout Europe• Build the evidence base – internationally

ECOEStuaries will…

• Demonstrate, Europe-wide, how optimal estuarine ecosystem restoration can be achieved through a more integrated planning process that engages actively with:

– the private sector

– Local Authorities

– NGOs and voluntary organisations

– local communities.

• Work closely with developers and financial experts to devise innovative approaches to funding and delivery of green infrastructure and riverwall habitat as an integral part of new developments to spread the burden of cost across sectors - not solely placed on the shoulders of developers

ECOEStuaries will…

• Create multi-functional habitat• Provide independent, long term

environmental monitoring across the estuary– Improve the evidence base

• Evaluate the ecosystem services in site and cumulatively across the whole river– Financial costs and benefits– Social costs and benefits– Combined social and

financial cost benefit analysis

ECOEStuaries will…

• Tackle social disconnection from the ‘natural’ environment through:– Citizen Science environmental monitoring– Training in Green Infrastructure for local communities led by local

NGOs and delivered as part of developments– Local community values appraisal and targeted engagement

ECOEStuaries will…

• provide evidence for better interpretation and integrated implementation of policies e.g.:– EU Water Framework

Directive– Biodiversity Strategy– Flood Directive and

the – Habitats Directive

ECOEStuaries will…

UCL – Lead Academic TEP - Lead Operational Partner

Tidal Thames, UK

Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research

EUCC Coastal Union Odra/Oder, DE

Aalborg University Aalborg Municipality Limjforden, DK

University of Glasgow Clyde River Foundation Clyde Estuary, UK

University of Seville Onubaland Odiel Tinto, ES

Thames Project Partners

• TEP – operational lead, stakeholder engagement, dissemination and associate partner coordination

• UCL – Academic/research lead • Colclough Coates Ltd (SC2 Ltd) & Institute of Fisheries Management –

Fish and habitat surveys, advisor• ZSL – Citizen Science and training• EA Kent & South London Teams – Integrated Environment Planning,

Fisheries, Biodiversity and Geomorphology - advisors• TEAM2100 (EA and CH2M) – anchor project• DP World, CWG – associate partners, pilot projects• Finance Innovation Lab and Prof William Watts – Economics and financial

expertise

Project Timeline

• Project concept note developed to start engagement with UCL and TEAM2100 – April 2014 – September 2014

• Horizon 2020 Two Stage Application– First stage March 2015 – Successful 11/35– Second Stage September 2015 – Submitted – 2/11 projects will be

funded– Outcome February 2016– Project delivery 2016-2020

Thanks to everyone who helped develop the project and supported this bid – Keep your fingers crossed!

•

• Climate Change – St Pancras Room• Education and Training – Gallery Room -

upstairs• Health and Environment – Limehouse Room• Citizen Science – Wenlock Room• Plastic Litter – Horsfall Room