WWT has teamed up with Aviva, the financial savings and insurance coverage enterprise, on a ground-breaking challenge to revive saltmarshes within the UK – unlocking the superpowers of wetlands.
Aviva, which has dedicated to speculate £100m into nature-based options by 2030, has awarded WWT £21 million for the challenge, making it one of many largest of its form within the UK. This pioneering partnership will allow us to revive and handle coastal saltmarsh at a landscape-scale and fund analysis into measuring and maximising its advantages.
Saltmarsh, a nature-rich habitat traditionally in severe decline, is a mixture of coastal land and water that helps to fight the causes and results of local weather change. Saltmarshes are good carbon sinks, accumulating carbon forty occasions sooner than forests, and supply pure flood safety; in addition they teem with wildlife that usually can not survive elsewhere, assist enhance water high quality and make us really feel higher. A pure resolution to a few of our world’s most urgent issues.
Drawing on our experience in conservation and analysis, the funding may even allow us to develop ‘finest follow tips and on the bottom’ evaluation to supply a catalyst for additional funding in saltmarsh creation throughout the UK. It builds on the work we’ve already carried out, and proceed to do, at WWT Steart Marshes in Somerset.
Brent Goose, copyright Richard Stonier, from the surfbirds galleries
Sarah Fowler, Chief Government of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Belief stated: “We’re extremely enthusiastic about our new transformative partnership with Aviva which goals to unlock the superpowers of wetlands to assist fight the interlinked emergencies of local weather change and catastrophic biodiversity loss. “This ground-breaking challenge will enable us to use our vast expertise of restoring wetlands to create a lot wanted new saltmarsh, and fund analysis to assist us perceive the best way to maximise and replicate its full potential for current and future generations. “With the local weather and nature crises displaying no signal of slowing there has by no means been a extra essential time for this partnership, which is able to ship efficient pure options to pressing man-made issues.”
Claudine Blamey, Aviva’s Group Sustainability Director, stated: “Saltmarshes are valuable habitats which have a big position to play in combating the local weather emergency and enhancing the UK’s local weather resilience. Not solely do they take away carbon from the environment and help biodiversity, in addition they ship flood mitigation advantages for close by communities. “We’re delighted to fund main analysis that can make a real contribution to the broader understanding of how saltmarshes may also help transfer Aviva and the UK in the direction of our internet zero ambitions.”
The challenge will run over 17 years. We’re presently engaged on the small print of bringing the challenge to life. We might be sharing extra info as our plans develop and we begin work on the bottom.
In addition to working with companions on large-scale restoration tasks corresponding to this, WWT is campaigning for 100,000 extra hectares of wetlands within the UK. You’ll be able to add your voice to the marketing campaign by signing the Wetlands Can pledge.
