Wyre Natural Flood Management - Nature and Biodiversity project of the year

Flooding is becoming an ever more present threat with 1.8 million people in the UK living in areas that are at significant risk. One of the most effective ways to combat climate change, protect our ecosystems, and improve community wellbeing is through the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). In collaboration with Wyre Rivers Trust and Triodos Bank, The Rivers Trust’s Wyre NFM Investment Readiness project aims to deliver catchment-scale flood management measures that significantly reduce downstream flooding to communities.

Working with five cross-sector partners, the project has secured funding to enable the delivery of 70ha of Nature-based Solutions over the next three years, including new woodlands, wetlands, and hedgerows. Additionally, the project will ensure that these habitats are managed over a long period of time, leading to and promoting long-term landscape change.

Not only does this project bring together different organisations, from corporations to farmers/landowners, but the resulting interventions benefit our wildlife, the environment, and local communities. Further, as a direct result of this project, The Rivers Trust is now working in partnership with several organisations on 10 new initiatives across the UK. Therefore, alongside it’s direct benefit, it continues to start conversations and open new opportunities for future Nature-based Solution initiatives, which are essential for tackling climate change and nature degradation at scale

Replenish - Partnership and Collaboration of the year

The cross-sector collaboration between Coca-Cola, The Rivers Trust, and our member Trusts, has enabled us to work with local communities and landowners on a variety of projects that benefit our blue spaces, nature, and environment.

Large corporations play an overwhelmingly significant part in the global economy and contribute substantially to climate issues. Therefore, achieving their sustainable goals through powerful partnerships and cross-sector collaborations is essential. With the financial backing that these corporations can provide, environmental organisations are able to aid their sustainable missions, whilst creating green infrastructure that works towards overarching climate goals. Coca-Cola are one of the largest global companies and, like all large-scale beverage corporations, use a significant amount of water in their supply chains.

To date, the Replenish project has created 20 wetlands (with a further six to be built) and in 2021 replenished more than 3,000 million-litres of water. By initially mapping out particularly water-stressed areas and working closely with our member Trusts, these initiatives and projects have will keep water in the landscape where it is most needed.

Alongside the green infrastructure and projects benefitting our waterways, environment, nature, and communities, this partnership has opened further conversations with multinational companies around corporate engagement and environmental responsibility.

The Award

We are delighted that these projects have been nominated for an Edie award. The work is truly collaborative and would not happen without the outstanding efforts from everyone involved. It is fantastic to see cross-sector partnerships being recognised in the push for a more sustainable world and hope that awards such as these lead to further collaborations so that vital climate goals can be met.