EN V IRO N MENT
A ng l i an Wate r
to meet the tough challenges posed by growth, water scarcity, drought and flood and make a difference to the lives of local communities, then we need to think differently. My hope is that this approach will be something replicated across the UK and beyond.” Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Greater Cambridgeshire said: “Opening up renewed opportunities for the Fens is one of my central priorities. Effective water management has huge potential to unlock economic growth and job creation, alongside the clear environmental benefits in terms of biodiversity and creation of new green spaces for communities to enjoy. I welcome the opportunity to come together through this taskforce to collaborate on a better, more resilient future for our Fenland communities.”
and its over 150 members are co-creating for Eastern England. By working across the Fens through this new taskforce to join up the worlds of water scarcity, flood risk management and water quality improvement at landscape scale, we will go a long way to ensuring that the whole region can meet its environmental and economic ambitions in the face of an increasingly unpredictable climate.
Opening up renewed opportunities for the Fens is one of my central priorities. Effective water management has huge potential to unlock economic growth and job creation, alongside the clear environmental benefits in terms of biodiversity and creation of new green spaces for communities to enjoy.
Dr Robin Price, Managing Director, Water Resources East, said: The Future Fens strategy sits right at the heart of the long-term integrated cross-sector water management plan which Water Resources East
Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said: “Future Fens will be a pioneer in how to adapt to the impacts of climate change across a complex low-lying landscape. It could be a global case study of how better water management not only mitigates risk, but boosts agricultural productivity, increases natural capital, supports carbon sequestration and creates jobs.”
ANGLIAN WATER www.anglianwater.co.uk
Next steps for the initiative include a detailed scoping phase to establish funding opportunities and synergies between agencies. It is hoped that Future Fens will be showcased as a global exemplar of integrated adaptation to climate change at COP26 in Glasgow in November.
9
