Four blue infrastructure proposals
for the UK’s recovery
1‘Previous generations built infrastructure on which
the public now depend. Now it is the Government’s
responsibility to build the public health andgovernmental infrastructure that will protect thecountry for decades to come.’
Our plan to rebuild
The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, May 20202

Contents
04

Overview

08 The climate challenge

A carbon storage network

20

An urban wellbeing network
The wellbeing challenge

Wetlands and carbon

Wetlands and wellbeing

Case study – Steart Marshes

Case study – Slough urban wetlands

Creating a carbon storage network

Creating an urban wellbeing network

protection network
14 ATheflood
flooding challenge

25

A water treatment network
The biodiversity challenge

Wetlands and flood management

Wetlands and biodiversity

Case study – Two Valleys, Somerset

Case study – South Finger wetland

Creating a flood protection network

Creating a water treatment network3Overview

4The challenges we face
Before COVID-19, the world was facing
a climate crisis, a nature crisis and an
emerging wellbeing crisis.
The drivers of these crises are complex
yet interrelated, and at their heart lies
the inescapable fact that our health is
inextricably bound with that ofour planet.
These crises are partly driven bywetland loss; we are depleting theirnatural capital, the stocks of natural
assets that underpin our economy
and wellbeing.
Current demands upon natural capitalare greater than supply. Despite its
relatively high rate of return we areunderinvesting in the natural capital1
held in our wetlands. We depend
upon these wetlands for essential
goods and services, however they
declined dramatically. England alone
has lost around 90% of its freshwater
wetlands in the past 500 years2.

People want a 'green recovery'3 thatdelivers the measures required toprotect public health, rebuild theeconomy and repair our environment.
The UK Government wishes to ‘act
wisely to lay in place new long-termfoundations…as previous generations
built infrastructure on which the public
now depend'4. This approach must
include making better use ofnatural infrastructure.
2020 has been a year without equal but
next year we have an opportunity tobuild back better.
In 2021 we can adopt an approachthat works with nature to address thechallenges we face. Through leading a‘blue recovery’ – which places wetlands
at the heart of our approach – the UK
can show the world how to build
back better.

Unsustainable use of the biosphere1

Biosphere regeneration G(S)Ecological footprintNyαInterim Report – The Dasgupta Review: Independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity, April 2020.
Managing the Wetlands of England – A Wetlands Archaeology GIS Resource, van De Noort, R, 2007.
3
Royal Society of the Arts / Food Foundation / YouGov, April 2020.
4
Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, UK Government, May 2020.
1

2

05
5

Recovery using blue infrastructure
In 2018 the Government set out the
UK’s 25 year plan for the environment.
Launched at WWT’s London Wetland
Centre, this aims to make ours ‘the first
generation to leave our environment
in a better state than we found it andpass on to the next generation a naturalenvironment protected and enhanced
for the future’5.
This plan sets out goals and policies,
including the use of nature-based
solutions to address broader societal
challenges, as well as the developmentof a Nature Recovery Network6.
This network is envisaged to providea ‘wide range of additional benefits:
greater public enjoyment, carbon
capture, water quality improvements
and flood management’7.

Wetlands function as blue infrastructurethat provides many essential benefits.
The contribution they make far
outweighs those made by otherecosystems8, with multiple benefits
ranging from reducing coastal erosion
to regenerating urban neighbourhoods.
Wetland creation provides an excellent
return on investment.
The Natural Capital Committee identify‘a good economic case for expanding
the extent of wetland areas by around
100,000ha’ to deliver the goals of the 25
Year Environment Plan9. The Committee
notes the benefits costs ratio of such
wetland creation can be as high as 9:110.

'There is a good
economic casefor expanding theextent of wetland
areas by around
100,000ha'
Natural Capital Committee

A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment, HM Government, 2018. 6 The Nature Recover Network will provide ‘500,000 hectares of additional wildlife habitat, more effectively linking existing protected sites and landscapes, as well as urban green and blue
infrastructure and the use of nature-based solutions to address broader societal challenges’, ibid. 7 ibid. 8 Global Wetland Outlook, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, (2018). 9 Natural Capital Committee Advice to Government on the 25 Year Environment Plan, Natural CapitalCommittee, September 2017. 10 The State of Natural Capital, Protecting and Improving Natural Capital for Prosperity and Wellbeing, Third report to the Economic Affairs Committee, Natural Capital Committee, 2015.

5

6
06

Our proposal
WWT proposes creating 100,000 hectares of wetlands to help address the climate, nature andwellbeing crises, and to help the UK recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Potential

Process

Partnership

Many communities have benefited from wetland creation, however there ispotential to do much more. Now is the time to move from ad-hoc interventions
to creating a strategic network of wetlands.

PurposeWWT are experts in wetland creation.
We work in the UK and overseas – on
the ground and via global professional
networks – to lead efforts. We aredoing this through:Each wetland created can provide many benefits. Among other benefits,these new wetlands can be used as:

Delivery

100,000 hectares of wetlands is a big
figure – we cannot achieve this alone.
We want to work in partnership witheveryone across Government, business
and wider civil society.
Whether you wish to protect yourlivelihood, improve your neighbourhood
or enhance your quality of life,
we want to work with you to secure
a blue recovery.

A carbon storage network, using wetlands
to sequester and store carbon
A flood management network, using wetland
features to reduce flooding
An urban wellbeing network, using wetlands
to improve wellbeing
A water treatment network, using wetlands
to support biodiversity

Restoring andcreating wetlands
Capacity building
Supporting organisations andindividuals to create wetlands
Community engagement
Helping local people value
and look after their wetlands07

A carbon storage network
8‘The science is clear. Wetlands are the mosteffective carbon sinks on our planet.’
Martha Rojas Urrego
Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, January 20199

The climate challenge
Carbon emissions

2021

Climate change is our gravest threat.
We have only a decade left to limit
global warming to a maximum safe
limit of 1.5°C. Globally, the extra
damage caused in 2100 by a 2°C rise(as opposed to 1.5°C) would amount to$US 15-38.5 trillion (2.3-3.5% of Gross
World Product)11.

In 2021 we can help address climatechange through the use of naturebased solutions. The UK Government
intends to focus on this as the hostnation for the COP26 climate summit14.
There are further opportunities to
explore this via the development of
the new £3bn Environmental Land
Management Scheme (ELMS) (whereorganisations ranging from the Green
Alliance to the NFU15 recommend
support for wetland restoration) andplans for managing coastal defences.

UK response
The UK is legally committed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions to net zeroby 2050 however, we are not on track
to meet this. The UK is projected to missits 4th and 5th carbon budgets (2023 to2032)12. Laggard sectors include landuse, where greenhouse gas emissions
have flatlined since 2008. Without
concerted action this sector could
become one of the largest sources ofemissions by 205013.

Global Warming of 1.5 ºC, UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018.
Acting on Net Zero Now, Green Alliance, 2019.
13
Land use: reducing emissions and preparing for climate change, Committee on Climate Change, 2018.
14“There are some areas which need particular attention in 2020 [including] nature, safeguarding ecosystems, protecting natural habitats and keeping carbon out of the atmosphere” – Alok Sharma MP, COP26 Chair and Business Secretary, February 2020.
15
Achieving Net Zero, Farming’s 2040 goal, National Farmers Union, 2019.
11

12

10

Wetlands and carbon
Why wetlands?
Wetlands play an important role inlimiting the amount of carbon in theatmosphere. This is recognised in the2015 Paris Agreement. Vegetated coastal
habitats are important carbon stores;

although their global area is one to twoorders of magnitude smaller than thatof terrestrial forests, their contribution
per unit area to long-term carbon
sequestration is much greater16.

Tides inundate the saltmarsh
depositing fresh mud. Some
plants are buried under thesilt where the carbon they
contain is trapped.

Plants draw in carbon
dioxide from theatmosphere to grow.

How it works
Carbon from the estuary or fromvegetation is buried after every tide,leaving behind a new layer of organiccarbon-rich sediment.
This regular tidal inundation keeps thesoil wet, inhibiting microbial action andslowing down plant decomposition.
When more carbon is removed fromthe environment and stored than isreleased, the carbon accumulates.
Newly created saltmarsh habitats bury
large amounts of carbon each autumn
as saltmarsh plants die back.
This provides carbon-rich organic
matter that annually gets buried andtrapped by the tidal sediment.

Wetland potential
Because wetland conditions
are damp and anaerobic,
decomposition of organic
matter is slowed, less C02 is
released and more carbon islocked away.

SummerAutumnWinterSpringA report commissioned by the Natural
Capital Committee identified scopefor creating 22,000 ha of saltmarsh in
England (a 54% increase on current
extent) as a potential natural capital
investment17. This would have a benefit
cost ratio of between 2 and 3:118.

Co-benefits
Wetland creation of this type provides
benefits beyond carbon storage.
Co-benefits include coastal defence,
fisheries production, recreational
opportunities and supporting
biodiversity. It should also be notedthat the land on which coastal habitatis created is already vulnerable to sea
level rise, often becoming uneconomic
to protect in the medium to long term.

There is potential to create wetlands
such as saltmarsh to help meetcarbon targets. This process would
involve managed realignment,
altering coastal flood defences tocreate a larger intertidal area.

A blue print for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2, E. McLeod et al, Front Ecol Environ 2011.
The Economic Case for Investment in Natural Capital in England – Final Report for the Natural Capital Committee, Eftec, 2015.
18
The State of Natural Capital, Protecting and Improving Natural Capital for Prosperity and Wellbeing, Third Report to the Economic Affairs Committee, Natural Capital Committee, 2015.
16
17

11

Case StudyBlue Carbon WWT Steart Marshes

Steart Marshes is a 480ha nature reserve on the edge of
the Severn Estuary near Bridgwater, Somerset.
Created in 2014 in partnership with the Environment Agency, it is a vast wetland
landscape, containing a mosaic of intertidal, fresh and brackish water habitats.
This site was created to compensate for the loss of intertidal habitat in the Severn
Estuary due to rising sea levels.

Steart’s saltmarshes currently store

10,000s

tonnesof carbon

every year, as well as providing space for nature,
reducing flood risk, benefiting wellbeing andsupporting local economies.

How wetlands
store carbon

CO2
Saltmarsh

Mud

The amount of carbon buried is dependent on the amount of sedimentaccumulated. Steart has accumulated a lot of sediment at a rate that is yet toslow down significantly. This will happen eventually but – given sufficient sediment(which is likely given the amount in the estuary) – it will at least keep pace with sea
level rise and remain resilient in the future.

CO22
Mud comes in on the tide and isdeposited – this is what storesthe carbon

How much carbon is
being stored?

Using core samples and topographical surveys wehave calculated the sedimentation that has occurred
and the amount of carbon stored. The levels of bothprocesses are extremely high.

WWT are working with scientists from Manchester
Metropolitan University to measure the rate andscale of carbon sequestration and storage.

Steart Marshes is burying carbon at a rate of approximately:

Since 2014, the newly laid down sediment
comprises approximately:

4.5%

Since 2014, the newly laid down sedimentorganic carbon
comprises approximately

Carbon is stored
in the soil

(from plants and sediment)– twice as much as that accumulated byprevious agricultural land management.

25-32

tonnes per hectare(per year)

resulting in a total of 26,000-34,000 tonnes between
August 2014 - October 2018.

This is likely to be an underestimate, as ourmeasurements so far do not include the amount ofcarbon sequestered within the vegetation of thedeveloping saltmarsh habitat. As the site has matured
it has become diversely vegetated, which is likely toincrease the amount of carbon stored.

12Creating a carbon storage network
WWT wants to create a bigger and better network of coastal wetlands to store carbon.
To unlock their full potential we wish to work in partnership to deliver the three core elements of a carbon storage network.

DeliveryCapacity building

Community engagement

Creating 22,000 hectares of saltmarsh

Empowering others to create coastal wetlands• Habitat creation: Delivering coastal wetland
creation and restoration projects• Advice and training: Supporting land managers
and advisors, local communities, rural businesses
and local planning authorities

Helping local people to value and carefor coastal wetlands• Mapping: Identifying opportunities forcoastal wetland restoration and creation(e.g. establishing Technical Advisory Group on
Managed Realignment)• Policy & advocacy: Securing policy andfunding framework. Includes incorporation
into UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Shoreline
Management Plans and Nationally Determined
Contributions as well as development of a Blue
Carbon Standard and market• Evidence: Measuring and presenting theimpacts wetlands have on carbon storage andother benefits• Consultation: Working with local people to help
them shape communities and coastlines• Education and awareness: Providing
opportunities to explore and celebrate
local heritage• Volunteering: Offering a range of opportunities,
including practical conservation work andlocal champion scheme

13

A flood protection network
14

‘Storms Ciara and Dennis – and communities thathave suffered repeated flooding events in recent
years – have highlighted to me the importance ofmaking nature’s power part of the solutions weurgently need to tackle the challenge of flooding.’
Rt Hon George Eustice MP
Environment Secretary, February 2020

15

The flooding challenge
Flood risk
Climate change is significantly
increasing the severity of extreme
rainfall events19,20 and flood risk is
now one of the UK’s top climatechange risks21. Storms Ciara and Dennis
made February 2020 the wettest ever22
with a record breaking number of flood
warnings23. In England 1 in 6 homes –around 5.2 million households24 – andover 500 major infrastructure assets arevulnerable to flooding25. The winter 20152016 floods in England were estimatedto have cost the economy £1.3- £1.9
billion26; by the 2050s the annual average
losses from coastal and river flooding in
England and Wales could rise by up to£6.8 billion27.

UK response
The UK has doubled its flood defence
budget to £5.2bn however we canno longer rely exclusively on‘hard engineering’. Few at-risk places
remain where large, traditional
defences (e.g. barriers) are a viable,
cost effective option.

Natural Flood Management (NFM)
is now part of the Government's
new Floods Strategy. As Environment
Agency Chief Executive Sir James Bevan
recognises: ‘While hard defences willcontinue to play a vital role in helping tokeep people and places safe, even more
important for reducing flood risk in future
is managing the flow of water throughthe environment. The best way to do thatis through natural methods …creating
wetland habitats that hold water andenhance biodiversity'
Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive,
Environment Agency 2020

2021
In 2021 we can address flood risk
through the use of nature-based
solutions. Opportunities include thedeployment of the Government’s new
Floods Strategy, the development of the
new Environmental Land Management
Scheme (ELMS) and the revision of thecurrent National Infrastructure Strategy.

UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, UK Government, 2017 / National Flood Resilience Review, HM Government, 2016. 21 Committee on Climate Change, 2016; UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017, UK Government, 2017. 22 Storm Jorge: Flood-hit towns battle wettest February
on record, BBC News, 2020. 23 Storm Dennis floods: how bad are they and what is being done?, The Guardian, 2020. 24 Flooding in England: A National Assessment of Flood Risk, Environment Agency, 2009. 25 National Flood Resilience Review, HM Government, 2016. 26 Estimating the
economic costs of the 2015 to 2016 winter floods, Environment Agency, 2018. 27 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, UK Government, 2012.
19/20

16

Wetlands and flood management
The natural solutions
Peatlands soak
up water
Cattle grazed in
low densities
Horizontal
ploughing helps
retain water

Wetland potential

Wetlands play an essential role in regulating
the movement of water through landscapes.
These wetlands span a wide variety of habitats,from ponds and water meadows that store water
to meandering rivers that slow the flow of water
through the countryside.

There is potential to create wetlands using
natural flood management techniques to reduce
flood risk, particularly in smaller communities
that might not normally receive built flood
defences. This process would involve thedeployment of small-scale measures throughout
river catchments to create a network of natural
flood defences. Investing in flood schemes moregenerally is proven to have high ratios in termsof costs avoided, with the Environment Agency
finding that every £1 invested in flood schemes
saves £10 in damages avoided28.

How it works

Fields retain water

Floodplains store
and slow releasestormwater
Bankside alder and willow
reduces soil erosion

Reedbeds filter
farmland pollution

Why wetlands?

Longhorn cattlegraze in low
numbers

Natural flood management encompasses
a variety of low-cost techniques that use
opportunities in the landscape to reduce
flooding. These measures seek to increase water
storage (e.g. floodplain reconnection) andinfiltration (e.g. storage capacity of soil) and/or slow and disperse water flows. The latter canbe achieved by increasing the ‘roughness’ of theground surface (e.g. planting vegetation) andthrough the use of in-river features (e.g. leaky
woody debris dams) to reduce peakflow (‘attenuation’).

Co-benefits
Wetland creation of this type provides
benefits beyond flood protection.
Co-benefits include improved biodiversity,
enhanced water quality29 and strengthened
community cohesion30.

Natural rivers have low waterlevels, clearer waters and less silt

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-agency-says-that-a-different-approach-is-needed-to-tackle-flooding-over-next-50-years.
Valuing water quality improvements from peatland restoration: Evidence and challenges. Ecosystem Services, Vol 9, Martin-Ortega, J. et al, 2014; The impacts of natural flood management approaches on in-channel sediment quality, Janes, V. J. et al, 2017.
30 ‘Learning for resilience’: Developing community capital through flood action groups in urban flood risk settings with lower social capital. International journal of disaster risk reduction, Vol 27, McEwen, L. et al., 2018; Capturing the multiple benefits associated with nature-based
solutions: Lessons from a natural flood management project in the Cotswolds, UK, Short, C. et al, 2019.
28
29

17

Case Study

Flood Management Two Valleys

One of 15 Government-backed pilots, we are working
with farmers, landowners, businesses and the wider
community to reduce flooding affecting the town ofWilliton and surrounding communities.
Together with our partners, WWT has restored naturalfeatures across the catchment that have been
lost or replaced over time by man-made structures.
These include creating 10 new open water wetlands,
installing 91 ‘leaky dams’, and planting over 1,200 trees.

Creating

10

We are measuring the multiple benefits of thisapproach, training community members to gather
evidence, with over 100 surveys undertaken.
Although the project has only been running for a year,
local flood risk has already reduced. Early evidence
indicates the new NFM features – particularly woody
dams – have boosted local biodiversity, with a rapid
increase in insect diversity and abundance.

Installingnewwetlands

91

Since 2018 WWT have been piloting a Natural FloodManagement programme in the Two Valleys area, aroundthe Doniford and Monksilver streams in west Somerset.

Planting overleaky dams

1200

trees

© WWT Images

18

Creating a flood protection network
WWT wants to create a bigger and better network of wetlands to reduce flooding.
To unlock their full potential we wish to work in partnership to deliver the three core elements of a flood protection network.

DeliveryCapacity building

Community engagement

Creating wetlands

Empowering others to create wetlands• Habitat creation: Delivering NFM projects inflood-affected river catchments and communities
close to WWT wetland centres in England;
operating as delivery partner on large natural
flood management schemes across England andacting as framework site management partner
on major nature-based flood schemes• Advice and training: Supporting land
managers, local communities, businesses andlocal planning authorities. Includes providing
technical expertise on wetland feature design
and also developing and delivering a NFM
advisor accreditation and standards scheme

Helping local people to value and carefor wetlands• Policy & advocacy: Securing policy andfunding framework. Includes deploymentof Government's Flooding Strategy anddevelopment of Environmental Land
Management Schemes (ELMS)• Evidence: Measuring and presenting impacts on
flooding and other benefits, sharing knowledge
and publishing guidance through a dedicatedonline information hub• Consultation: Deploying community outreachstaff during development, delivery andmanagement of nature-based flood schemes• Education and awareness: Providing
opportunities to explore and celebrate local
heritage. Includes developing a package ofeducation and awareness tools and materials
for local communities, disseminated via
projects, online and WWT Centres and Hubs
• Community ownership: Using exemplar NFM
projects to develop and promote a model
for local community ownership based oncommunity groups and local (e.g. parish-level)authorities, using citizen science as a
key component19

An urban wellbeing network
20‘We know that a blue environment can be as
good or even better for you than a green one:living near or visiting the coast, rivers and lakes
increases people’s reported levels of mental
health and wellbeing.’
Sir James Bevan,Chief Executive, Environment Agency, September 2020

21

The wellbeing challenge
Mental health
Poor mental health is a major publichealth challenge, accounting for 40%
of GP appointments31 and affecting 1 in
4 people each year32. In England, 1 in 6
people report experiencing a common
mental health problem (e.g. anxiety,depression) in any given week33. This
costs the NHS over £34bn a year withthe wider economic, social and healthcosts amounting to £105bn per year34.

UK response
The UK Government recognises thevalue of connecting people with nature
to improve wellbeing35, however, this isconstrained by the quality of thebuilt environment. Spending time in andaround blue spaces can be even more
beneficial for than green spaces36 yet
the quality and ease of access varies
considerably. Access is particularly
limited for minority groups and lowincome families: 1 in 8 households in

Britain (1 in 5 in London) does not haveaccess to their own garden37 and in
England black people are nearly fourtimes as likely as white people to haveno access to outdoor space at home38.

2021
In 2021 we can improve wellbeing
through the use of nature-based
solutions. The UK Government aims for‘more people, from all backgrounds, toengage with and spend time in green
and blue spaces in their everyday lives’39.
It seeks to achieve this by ‘making surethat there are high quality, accessible,
natural spaces close to where people
live and work, particularly in urban areas,and encouraging more people to spend
time in them to benefit their health andwellbeing’40. Measures include socialprescribing, educational initiatives andthe provision of green infrastructure.

Other opportunities are presented by
new approaches to improving publichealth41 and the reform of theplanning system42.
Globally, the UK could follow thebest practice of 18 'Wetland Cities',
recognised by the Ramsar Convention43:
as pioneers in the conservation
and wise use of urban andperi-urban wetlands and thesocioeconomic benefits theybring for local people.

https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/40-per-cent-of-all-gp-appointments-about-mental-health/. 32 Adult psychiatric morbidity in England, 2007: results of a household survey. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. McManus, S et al, 2009. 33 Mental
health and wellbeing in England: Adult psychiatric morbidity survey 2014, McManus S et al, 2016. 34 The five year forward view for mental health: A report from the independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS in England, 2016. 35/39/40 A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve
the Environment, HM Government, 2018. 36 Does living by the coast improve health and wellbeing?, B. Wheeler et al, 2012; Happiness is greater in natural environments, MacKerron and Mourato, Global Environmental Change, 2013. 37/38 Office for National Statistics, May 2020.
41
Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, Department of Health and Social Care. 42 Planning for the Future, MHCLG, 2020. 43 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. As one of six International Organisation Partners (IOPs), WWT takes a leading role inchampioning the Convention and works with Defra to promote this via communication, capacity building, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) activity. Further information on Wetland Cities: https://www.ramsar.org/news/18-cities-recognized-for-safeguardingurban-wetlands.
31

22

Wetlands and wellbeing
Why wetlands?
Wetlands are a key part of theurban environment. These ‘blue spaces’
can be existing assets (e.g. canals,
rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and theirborders) or new ones (e.g. ponds or rain
gardens) that can be created from thewater that falls on hard surfaces using
the principles of sustainable drainage
systems (SuDS).

How it works
Such blue spaces can be used tosupport wellbeing. Good quality,
accessible and attractive urban blue
space can be provided, where people
live and work, and can be targeted atareas in greatest need. When deliveredat scale these urban wetlands can beused to support social prescribing,where healthcare professionals referpeople to local, nonclinical services toimprove wellbeing.
WWT’s ‘blue prescriptions’ pilot at
Slimbridge Wetland Centre engaged
individuals with wetland nature,44

with significant improvements across a
range of indicators, including mental
wellbeing, anxiety, stress andemotional wellbeing44.

Wetland potential
There is potential to create many
more urban wetlands – in a variety ofdifferent formats and at different scales- to improve wellbeing. These canrange from restoring neglected rivers
to retrofitting SuDS into existingdevelopments to incorporating new
blue spaces into new developments.

Co-benefits
Urban wetlands provide benefits
beyond wellbeing and can be designed
to address multiple issues. These include
facilitating active travel, improving
water quality, reducing surface water
flooding, strengthening community
cohesion, reducing urban heating andincreasing biodiversity.

For further information visit https://www.wwt.org.uk/our-work/projects/wetlands-human-health-and-wellbeing/.

© WWT Images

23

Case Study

Urban Wetlands Slough
WWT are working to transform the Salt Hill Stream,a neglected and despoiled urban river in Slough.

Although surrounded by wealthier areas with extensive
and high-quality greenspace, the communities
immediately around the stream contain significant
pockets of deprivation and are disconnected fromthe stream.
WWT is working with Slough Borough Council,
Thames Water, the Environment Agency and the local
community to transform the stream and reconnect itwith local communities. Works are underway to create
demonstration features, establish the river corridor as atransit route and daylight culverted sections.

45

This revived urban wetland will benefit fromreduced flood risk and improved water quality.
It will also facilitate the NHS's recommended five
steps to wellbeing45.
This wetland will help people to connect with othersand develop a lasting affinity with the stream and its
catchment, be physically active, learn new skills toimprove their local environment, give to others throughvolunteering, pay attention to the present moment andappreciate the environment around them.

nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/.

© WWT Images

24Creating an urban wellbeing network
WWT wants to create a bigger and better network of urban wetlands to improve wellbeing.
To unlock their full potential we wish to work in partnership to deliver the three core elements of an urban wellbeing network.

DeliveryCapacity building

Community engagement

Creating urban wetlands where people live
and work

Empowering others to create urban wetlands

Helping local people to value and carefor urban wetlands• Habitat creation: Installing water features (e.g.
ponds) on individual properties and SuDS atstreet level; regenerating (e.g. waterways) andinstalling (e.g. rain gardens) in neighbourhoods;
creating free-to-access community wetland'hubs' in cities / boroughs on disused land andthe NHS estate• Policy & advocacy: Securing a policy and funding
framework. Includes planning reform and urban
design guidance• Advice and training: Providing advice andguidance to businesses, homeowners andlocal planning authorities; running training
programmes, delivered online or via WWT
wetland hubs; offering partnership and learning
opportunities (e.g. WWT Blue Buddies scheme
for local authorities)• Evidence: Measuring and presenting theimpacts of urban wetlands• Consultation: Working with local people to help
shape their neighbourhoods• Education and awareness: Providing cultural
engagement programmes exploring local
heritage and using wetlands as a source ofinspiration and creativity; delivering schools
outreach programmes, including lessons,presentations and practical advice(e.g. pond installation)• Volunteering: Running volunteer programmes,
including practical conservation work,ongoing maintenance and community
adoption schemes25

A Water Treatment Network
26

'The EA's latest water body classification results
showed that 16% of waters overall and 14% of rivers
are at 'good' ecological status… more needs to bedone and we need to go further and faster'.
Rebecca Pow MP
Environment Minister, September 2020

27

The biodiversity challenge
Water pollution

2021

The world faces a biodiversity crisis.
Freshwater species and the wetlands
they depend upon are being lost at
an alarming rate. Poor water quality
is helping to fuel this, driven by factors
including land management practices,
industrial uses, population growth andclimate change46.

In 2021 we can improve water
quality through the use of naturebased solutions. The Government aims
to ‘improve at least three quarters of
our waters to be close to their naturalstate as soon as is practicable’49 and issetting new legally binding targets via
the Environment Bill. Water companies
are expected to help meet this via
obligations set out in the £5 billion
Water Industry Natural Environment
Programme (WINEP) as well as throughdeveloping their own innovative
approaches to reduce pollution.

UK response
The UK is committed to improving
water quality however it is highly likely
it will miss current targets. These include
a legal requirement to bring all waters
to ‘Good Status’ by 202147. Currently,
only 16% of English water bodies areclassified as being in good ecologicalstatus and every single one fails to meetgood overall status48.

The state of the environment: water quality, Environment Agency, February 2018.
The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.
48
WFD Classification Status Cycle 2, Environment Agency, 29 September 2020.
49
A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment, HM Government, 2018.
46
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Wetlands and biodiversity
Why wetlands?
Wetlands perform a critical role in protecting and improving water quality
by filtering out pollutants. This includes removing nutrients (e.g. nitrogen andphosphorus), pesticides and sediment from agricultural runoff and filtering
pollutants from industrial and road runoff in urban areas.

How it works
Treatment wetlands and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) can be created toremove pollutants. For over 30 years WWT have been managing and monitoring
wetlands at our centres that are specifically designed to improve water quality. In
addition, we have developed different wetland schemes for other organisations fora wide range of purposes, from treating sewage, stormwater and agricultural waste
to handling landfill leachate, mine drainage and road runoff.

Wetland potential
There is potential to create wetlands to help improve water quality, with thebenefits far outweighing the costs. This process would involve constructing
treatment wetlands and SuDS to create a water treatment network. Environment
Agency analysis50 shows that achieving the Government’s ‘good status’ 75% target51
generates benefits of around £22.5bn for costs of £17.5bn. The Natural CapitalCommittee (NCC) notes that reducing this to less costly interventions improves thisto £20bn benefits for £12bn costs52.

Co-benefits
Treatment wetlands and SuDS provide benefits beyond water quality and can be
designed to address multiple issues. These range from food production (supporting
pollinating insects) to climate mitigation (reducing the urban heat effect).
Impact Assessment: Update to the river basin management plans for England's water environment, Environment Agency 2015. 51 ‘75% target reflects current River Basin Management Plans(RBMPs) analysis of where benefits outweigh costs; waters includes rivers, lakes, groundwateraquifers, estuaries and coastal waters’, Footnote 3, A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment, HM Government, 2018.
52
The State of Natural Capital: Protecting and Improving Natural Capital for Prosperity and Wellbeing, Third Report to the Economic Affairs Committee, Natural Capital. Committee, 2015.
50

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Case Study

Wetland Treatment System
South Finger

WWT created this system at our Slimbridge
headquarters in 1995 to treat water before it
leaves the site.

Water floods over20

hectares of
wet grassland

supporting breedinglapwing and redshank.

Comprised of a settlement pond, three treatment beds
planted with different species mixes, a rafted lagoon,a cascade lagoon and two polishing beds, the treatedwater flows into a pool with a bird hide where visitors
can watch nesting kingfishers.
Performance is regularly monitored through chemical
water testing. The system has been shown to remove
10% of total phosphorous, 60% of ammonia and 40%of nitrates.

© WWT Images

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Creating a water treatment network
WWT wants to create a bigger and better network of wetlands to improve water quality.
To unlock their full potential we wish to work in partnership to deliver the three core elements of a water quality network.

DeliveryCapacity building

Community engagement

Creating wetlands in rural and urban areas

Empowering others to create wetlands in ruraland urban areas

Helping local people to value and carefor wetlands• Advice and training: Providing advice andguidance to statutory agencies, watercompanies, rural businesses and farming
advisors, local planning authorities, housingdevelopers, and other relevant industry sectors;
running training programmes, delivered online
or via WWT wetland hubs

• Consultation: Working with local people to help
them shape their neighbourhoods• Habitat creation: Delivering exemplar catchmentscale wetland creation and restoration projects;
partnering with industry to develop wetlands atscale across their business operations• Policy & advocacy: Securing policy andfunding framework. Includes development ofEnvironmental Land Management Schemes(ELMS), water company plans, nutrient neutrality
schemes and a Treatment Wetlands Standard• Evidence: Measuring and presenting theimpacts of treatment wetlands and SuDS

• Education and awareness: Delivering schools
outreach programmes, including lessons,presentations and practical advice (e.g. pond
installation)• Volunteering: Running volunteer programmes,
including practical conservation work andcitizen science31

If you would like to know more about our four proposals please contact
Tom Fewins, Head of Policy & Advocacy, WWT
tom.fewins@wwt.org.uk
07900 607596

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