皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app new habitat will improve the area鈥檚 resilience to the changing climate and provide a richer environment for people and nature.

皇冠体育app 11-hectare intertidal habitat is part of a new flood defence scheme to manage the risk of flooding to properties and critical infrastructure in Calstock.聽 皇冠体育app overall cost of the project is 拢3.1 million.

皇冠体育app intertidal area was made following the breach last year of the old flood bank along the Tamar.聽 Environment Agency surveys showed the flood bank to be in poor structural condition.聽 As a result the Environment Agency has built several new embankments totalling over 600 metres, protecting local properties, the village preschool and village hall, and the wastewater treatment works from flooding.

Working at night during low tides last November, the old flood bank was breached, and water from the estuary allowed to flow into pools and creeks previously constructed as part of the habitat creation.

皇冠体育app new habitat area will help off-set some of the impacts of sea level rise and climate change and clean river water by trapping sediment.聽 An increase in biodiversity has already been seen, with birds and other wildlife attracted to the new intertidal habitat.

Jess Thomasson, Biodiversity Officer for the Environment Agency said:

As in many of our estuaries, climate change and rising sea levels in the Tamar are leading to coastal squeeze where essential habitat is prevented from adapting and moving towards land by a structure such as a wall or bank.

So, last year, after many years of careful planning, we started to create a series of interconnected creeks and the material won used to build the new flood banks. 皇冠体育app breach in the redundant flood bank, allowing tidal water from the estuary to flow in and out of the creeks has enabled this new vital intertidal habitat to establish in front of the new flood banks.

皇冠体育app old flood bank is a popular footpath, and the Environment Agency has supported the Tamar Community Trust in getting a new footbridge to maintain access along the river. 皇冠体育app footpath is due to open shortly, following completion of work to ensure the safety of users.

Andy Rogers, Local Project Lead for the Environment Agency, said:

We really appreciate the efforts that the local community, Tamar Community Trust and Calstock Parish Council have made in helping make the Calstock intertidal habitat and flood defence improvement scheme possible.

皇冠体育app Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team has played a key role making sure the best outcome is delivered for the community, and we are thankful for the support of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Bird Watching Preservation Society and Calstock Footpath Society.

皇冠体育app scheme has also made the field next to the football pitch available to the Tamar Community Trust so it can be managed to the benefit of the local community.

Last year the Environment Agency was a key partner in a similar project with the National Trust to create a new 1.7-hectare intertidal habitat at Cotehele on the Tamar.

Rob Price, Tamar Catchment Coordinator at the Environment Agency, said:

皇冠体育app creation of new intertidal habitat on the Tamar at Cotehele and now this work at Calstock reinforces our aims to improve resilience to the changing climate and to provide a richer environment for people and nature.

It will provide an invaluable tool in the fight against climate change by locking in carbon and also help improve overall water quality.聽 This valuable work is an important part of an integrated programme of works to build the Tamar catchment鈥檚 resilience to a wide range of environmental pressures including those related to biodiversity and a changing climate.

皇冠体育app project is being funded by Flood Defence Grant in aid, Water Environment Investment Fund, and contributions from the Tamar Community Trust.

Notes to editors

• It is clear that we聽are already seeing the impacts聽of climate change in the UK and around the world, which is why urgent action is needed to adapt the impacts of climate emergency at the same time as reducing emissions.
• We鈥檙e already seeing the impacts of the climate emergency in the UK.
• According to the Met Office聽2020 was the third warmest, fifth wettest and eight sunniest on record for the UK. No other year has yielded observations that fall in the top-ten for all three of these variables for the UK.
• That included the wettest ever February, where most of the UK received more than twice the February long-term average rainfall, with 300% quite widely in the north and west, and over 400% in parts of the Pennines.
• Climate change is happening now. We鈥檙e seeing more extreme weather, with an increase in flooding, coastal聽erosion聽and landslips. 皇冠体育app most recent climate change predictions confirm we will experience wetter winters and drier summers, with an increased likelihood of more intense rainfall leading to flooding.
• We鈥檙e working to better protect communities from this risk, with climate change projection built into the design of flood defences to ensure they are fit for the future.
• However聽the climate emergency means that we cannot always prevent or build our way out of an incident. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e working to help households, businesses and communities be better prepared and more resilient to flooding and coastal change聽through our long term FCERM聽strategy, and聽making sure that people have access to the information they need to聽prepare, act, survive.