Environment Agency’s Post

This week, we’re taking a look at the Coastal Resilience Resource Hub, a Sea Grant project to which our own Abigail Merolle contributed, with guidance from University of Michigan- School for Environment and Sustainability Professor of Practice Mike Shriberg. The Coastal Resilience Resource Hub collects and catalogues effective strategies for protecting shoreline communities along the banks of the Great Lakes. While there are many resources online which can assist coastal managers with preparing for floods, stewarding water systems, understanding local ecosystems, and more— information overload can lead to these assets going underused, or becoming difficult to find as time passes. To alleviate this problem, the project organizes resources to be easily perused by topic: Planning, Policy, Communication and Education, Funding, Technical Assistance, and General Resources. While most of the resources available in the Coastal Resilience Resource Hub relate to Michigan specifically, some relate to other states—in order to create a more wholistic repository for knowledge relating to the management of the Great Lakes. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gc3Qya8P

🌿Our 1st Environmental Justice Dialogue on Nature's Value for Flood Resilience in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Concluded🌿funded by Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center A heartfelt thank you to over 30 local stakeholders, scientists, and project partners for making the Environmental Justice Dialogue on Flood Risk & Resilience Dialogue a resounding success! Your insights, curiosity, and expertise enriched the discussions and set a strong foundation for collaborative efforts moving forward. Special thanks to Dr. Sam Grant Rainbow Research Inc., our Community Partner, for co-organizing and chairing the dialogue, and to a few of my incredible project team—@Ben Janke, Philip Adalikwu, PhD, Saleh Mamun PhD, MBA, Will Bartsch, and Natalie Narváez—for their exceptional contributions to flood risk assessment, ecosystem services modeling, and resilience planning. Jessica Hellmann and Melissa Kenney, your continued support to this project is highly appreciated. Key highlights included: 🌍 Introduction to the "Nature's Value" project on using nature-based solutions to mitigate flood risks in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. 📊 Discussions on tools like HAND and CADDIES for flood modeling and the CDC Social Vulnerability Index and HVI #BRIC for resilience and equity assessment. 🌱 Insights into ecosystem services, including tracking carbon sequestration and stormwater management through InVEST models. 🛠️ Community-focused approaches to integrating environmental justice into resilience planning. We look forward to continuing this vital work with all of you. As shared, we’ll reconvene this ongoing dialogue in six months to share refined model results, develop operationally relevant scenarios, and ensure this project addresses both scientific and community needs. Together, let’s drive sustainable, equitable solutions for flood resilience in the Upper Mississippi River Basin! 📌 If you would like to participate in future EJ dialogues on Nature's Value for Flood Risk Reduction in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Area, feel free to reach out to me directly. #EnvironmentalJustice #FloodRisk #NatureBasedSolutions #Sustainability #Resilience #Collaboration

Something NEW A little infographic to remind you that if you are struggling with: 🌧️ Too much water 🌧️ Dirty water 🌧️ Water flowing where it doesn’t normally 🌧️ Fast flowing water 🌧️ Erosion (e.g. washed out driveways) Hard engineering at the point of impact is not necessarily the solution. Consider a de-engineered approach and adopt a nature-based solution. **** I’m Kat Teakle, a Hydrologist that specialises in flood risk management and restoration of fluvial environments. I have an M.Sc. in River Environmental Management from the University of Birmingham and 18 years experience working in the water industry. I write about managing water sustainably using nature-based solutions. You can sign up to my newsletter Defended by Nature here: https://lnkd.in/d9bKCqWC I share my expertise and experience to empower land managers to "de-engineer" their approach to landscape management using nature-based solutions. #naturebasedsolutions #defendedbynature #naturalfloodmanagemeng #nfm #SUDS #landscaperegeneration #floodplainreconnection #regenerativeagriculture #sourcecontrol #deengineer

Modern flood risk management is no longer about preventing all floods but about allowing them to occur in controlled areas in ways that minimize their impact on people and infrastructure. Equally important is retaining as much rainwater as possible where it falls, reducing runoff into water bodies and limiting overflow. We should focus on protecting or restoring riverbed and valley retention areas, wetlands, and forests, especially in the upper parts of river basins. Developing dispersed retention systems is also crucial, and the aim of our study visit to Gdańsk was to learn how to do it really well. We were guided through rain gardens by Ryszard Gajewski and Agnieszka Kowalkiewicz from Gdańskie Wody, a leading organization in Poland implementing blue-green infrastructure in urban context. Together with local government officials, state institution representatives, including Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne Wody Polskie and IMGW, and academic experts from Wrocław University of Science and Technology and Gdańsk University of Technology, we discussed catchment modeling, hydraulic calculations, site selection methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of particular solutions. A significant part of the meeting was dedicated to hydrofitic water treatment. The visit was so inspiring that it will surely have a lasting impact on the activities of my Department of Adaptation to Climate Change and Urban Policy at the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment (Ministerstwo Klimatu i Środowiska). A big thanks to Agata Skrzypek and Aleksandra Tichoniuk for organizing the visit and taking excellent care of all participants over the two days. #NatureBasedSolutions #ClimateChange #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateAction #ClimateResilience #Biodiversity #Sustainability #SustainableDevelopment

The Intact Centre is proud to have collaborated on the National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada's Nature-Based Infrastructure for Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management: A Canadian Design Guide. This first-of-its-kind resource provides evidence-based guidance for practitioners across Canada to design and implement nature-based solutions that enhance coastal resilience while delivering environmental and societal co-benefits. The guide offers: ✅ Practical approaches for selecting, designing, and maintaining nature-based infrastructure ✅ Methods for predicting performance, monitoring, and adaptive management ✅ Insights tailored to Canada's diverse coastal settings Nature-based infrastructure is a critical tool in addressing coastal flood and erosion risks while supporting biodiversity and community well-being. We’re thrilled to contribute to advancing sustainable, innovative climate adaptation practices in Canada! 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKf34Kmn

This should be an interesting guide to check out

Free webinar on Integrated Water Management Planning 💧 Join our free webinar on 21 January with Eduardo Rico learn about the VENTURA project - a collaboration between Imperial College London, British Geological Survey and UCL, with pilot partners Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Environment Agency and United Utilities, which developed interactive models of the natural and built #environment that can be applied to improve #water management decisions in the context of local #urbanplanning. This webinar will explore how the digital tools available can be used to explore the impact of different planning and decision scenarios on water system and catchment planning, and ensure the impacts of housing and infrastructure delivery are considered in terms of flood risk, water quality and resilience to climate change. Register for free: https://lnkd.in/eNWErSRr

DHI is pleased to have contributed to this important guideline with so many distinguished leaders in industry, government and academia to develop a practical and comprehensive guide to develop climate resilient nature-based infrastructure for coastal flood and erosion risk which is focused on Canadian coastlines and communities.

𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 In Louisiana, the story of coastal preservation is evolving. Dr. John Foret, Ph.D., Vice President of Environmental at Fenstermaker, offers valuable insight into the transition from rebuilding what was lost to creating solutions that can withstand the challenges ahead. Through decades of restoration, we’ve learned critical lessons—yet as hurricanes grow stronger and rainfall intensifies, 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆. Resiliency is the path forward: one where innovative regional projects like the 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘂 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 address flooding and environmental challenges on a broad scale, ensuring long-term benefits for communities and ecosystems alike. Join us in exploring the science, strategy, and impact behind this 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 in coastal management. #coastalengineering #resiliency #environment

🌊 How do you tackle flooding in urban watersheds while improving climate resilience? Our team at Weston & Sampson partnered with the City of Worcester, Massachusetts to develop green, gray, and watershed-wide solutions for the Broad Meadow Brook Watershed. From hydrologic modeling to green infrastructure prioritization, discover how these efforts are paving the way for sustainable stormwater management and ecological restoration. 📖 Read the full article in Stormwater Solutions Magazine featuring insights from Kylie Tardif, Doris Jenkins, P.E., and Alexis Simpson: https://lnkd.in/ehVvfb5a #StormwaterManagement #ClimateResilience #GreenInfrastructure #EngineeringInnovation