Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
projects at a local level. In doing so, this will help
project mangers communicate the project ratio-
nale as clearly as possible to the members of the
public that live in the vicinity of a site and aremost
closely influenced by, and most likely to benefit
from, such schemes.
Europe and, while the primary drivers for these
schemes have varied greatly (nature conservation,
coastal adaptation and project/plan compensa-
tion), the problems encountered, such as public
opposition and planning delays, have often been
very similar (Rupp-Armstrong et al. 2008). In
particular, the most common lesson identified
by implementers is that the public and stake-
holders should be engaged early in the process.
There is no doubt that projects are facilitated by
such early engagement or, equally, that projects
can stall where the engagement either hasn't been
pursued efficiently enough and/or where the ra-
tionale for the initiative has not been effectively
conveyed.
This aspect is now widely recognized by those
involved in progressing managed realignments;
also a vast amount is now known about how best
to implement such schemes by virtue of the prac-
tical experience that has been gained. As a result
there has been a clear shift since the late 1980s
from the early ad hoc barely modelled and mon-
itored schemes to a new generation of sophisticat-
ed multi-driver schemes, which tend to be
meticulously planned, consulted on and moni-
tored. As one major example of where this road
has led, in July 2009 the RSPB secured planning
consent for a new 677-ha Wallasea Island Wild
Coast Project. Located alongside the Wallasea
North Bank site that was breached in 2006, this
new, much larger, scheme will involve the impor-
tation of 7.5 million m
3
of inert fill materials to
raise, restore and reform a sunken and flat arable
landscape and create a site that alleviates the
existing flood risk, integrates into the existing
estuary hydrodynamics, and delivers large areas
of new coastal habitat and recreational opportu-
nities for the public. It is envisaged that the lessons
learned from this new generation of more sophis-
ticated large-scale schemes (alongside the lessons
for past, present and future smaller-scale projects)
will only help to further accelerate the 'learning by
doing' process and, thus, improve the quality and
value of future schemes for nature and people.
Alongside such progress there will be a continuing
need for statutory guidance at a national and re-
gional level that can then be used to underpin
Online Resources
Sites providing guidance, case studies and useful
sources of information (all accessed April 2010):
Wikipedia article on 'Managed retreat': http://en
.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managed_retreat
Environment AgencyManaged Realignment Elec-
tronic Platform: http://www.intertidalmanage-
ment.co.uk/contents/index.htm
OnlineManaged Realignment Guide: http://www
.abpmer.net/omreg/
Defra's Saltmarsh Management Manual: http://
www.saltmarshmanagementmanual.co.uk/
The Estuary Guide from Defra/Environment
Agency: http://www.estuary-guide.net/
ComCoast website: http://www.comcoast.org/
Wallasea Wetlands Creation Project: http://www
.abpmer.net/wallasea/
See also: http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/protected/
wallasea.htm
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: http://www.ukbap
.org.uk/GenPageText.aspx?id
ΒΌ
98.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Reports:
http://www.maweb.org/en/index.aspx
Hull Biodiversity Action Plan: http://www.hull
.ac.uk/HBP/ActionPlan/Parks.htm
References
Abbott, M.B. and Price, W.A. (eds) (1994) Coastal, Estu-
arial and Harbour Engineers' Reference Book.E.&
F.N. Spon (an imprint of Chapman Hall), London.
ABPmer (2003) Lappel Bank and Fagbury Flats Compen-
satory Measures: Phase 1 Site Selection Revisited.
Report for Defra, Report No. R. 956, September 2003.
ABPmer (2004a) Wallasea Island North Bank Managed
Realignment: Environmental Statement. Report for
Wallasea Farms Ltd, Report No. R. 1114, November
2004.
