Norfolk and Suffolk projects chosen for share of £150m flood defence funding
Scheme's in the counties are among 25 chosen for funding in England.
Last updated 29th Mar 2021
Two schemes in Norfolk and Suffolk will be getting a share of the £150m Government funding aimed at improving flood defences and coastal resilience.
The first project in Norfolk and Suffolk focuses on an innovative approach to helping manage floods and drough.
The project looks at how surface water runoff can be captured during periods of food and high rainfall, and reused for groundwater recharge and agriculture.
It's hoped this will improve water security for rural communities.
The second scheme getting funding locally is in East Suffolk and Norfolk - an area with one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe.
This one looks at piloting a coastal adaption toolkit to prepare the coastline against climate change in the future.
Other innovative technologies in England chosen for funding involve flood alert apps and sponge'' road surfaces.
The money for all these schemes has come from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
This is part of the Government's new Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme - an effort to develop and test new approaches to tackling coastal erosion and mainland flooding - and will be managed by the Environment Agency.
A wide range of approaches tailored to local communities will be trialled, including the restoration of sub-tidal habitats like kelp beds, oyster reefs and sea grass near South Tyneside, and an app to warn residents about the threat of groundwater in Buckinghamshire.
Artificial intelligence and new sensor technology to detect rising water levels will be used in Northumberland, and in Cornwall sand dunes will be protected and saltmarshes restored.
In Slough, the Chinese sponge city'' concept will be deployed, which is the use of permeable roads to soak up surface water, along with natural vegetation to improve drainage.
Environment minister Rebecca Pow said the Government has pledged to invest £5.2 billion in 2,000 new flood and coastal defences over the next six years, adding that "long-term approaches to improve communities' resilience'' is vital in the face of climate change.
She said: "These 25 projects will not only help to inform future approaches to prepare communities for flooding and coastal change across the country, but also help reinforce the UK's position as a world leader in innovation and new technology as we build back better.''
Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said the project is "extremely exciting'' and could be replicated on a larger scale around the world if successful.
She said: "The innovation programme is extremely exciting as it begins to put new aspects of the national flood and coastal erosion risk strategy to the test.
"What we learn will inform our approach to the climate crisis in the coming decades and it's something to tell our international partners about at Cop26.
"I'm particularly interested in the projects that test the ability of nature-based projects to generate revenue.
"If successful, these could be scaled up by private finance around the world, helping to prepare for climate shocks, restore nature and create jobs.''