A £30 million call for investment in nature to address Norfolk’s water challenges was launched in February, through a partnership between Norfolk County Council, Anglian Water, The Nature Conservancy and Water Resources East.
The Norfolk Water Fund seeks to scale up public, private and philanthropic investment in nature to tackle the county’s water scarcity, water quality and flood risk management challenges.
The business case for the Norfolk Water Fund, shows how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can address water security challenges in Norfolk with minimal land take. Each £1 invested in NbS in Norfolk would deliver £6.70 in benefits, including improved water resources and water quality, enhanced habitats for wildlife, and the ability to unlock housing growth while protecting the environment.
Following the launch, the partnership under the umbrella of the Norfolk Water Strategy Programme will focus on securing funds and engaging landowners to scale up the delivery of NbS in targeted parts of Norfolk where the benefits could be greatest.
The proposed £30 million portfolio of projects focus on reducing, slowing and infiltrating the runoff of water from land, by changing land use in priority areas through interventions including leaky ponds, buffer strips and soil management measures. These solutions can be integrated into schemes for local nature recovery with limited land take that fit within a productive farmed landscape. The Norfolk Water Fund aims to showcase the county as an international exemplar of collaborative and integrated water management.
Water funds are a well-established model for facilitating collective action to address water security challenges through a mix of nature-based solutions alongside water demand management and more traditional (so-called ‘grey’) infrastructure, such as pipelines and treatment plants. Norfolk is the first of two European pilot Water Fund initiatives supported by global environmental nonprofit The Nature Conservancy (TNC), adding to its global portfolio of more than 40 water funds.
Over the next 18 months, the partners are committed to expanding the portfolio of pilot projects in Norfolk to learn more about the specifics of design, delivery and financing. This will help refine the business case and develop novel funding streams and strategies for expansion of delivery. To secure this next phase, the Norfolk Water Strategy Programme is actively seeking initial funding support of £1.2 million, and farmers and landowners interested in diversifying their income through NbS delivery.
The Norfolk Water Strategy Programme has been supported by grants from the Norfolk Strategic Fund, Norfolk County Council, Anglian Water, The Nature Conservancy and WWF.
Daniel Johns, Managing Director, Water Resources East said:
“Today’s report clearly shows the value of restoring more natural processes within Norfolk’s catchments for the benefit of agriculture and the local economy. The changing climate means water scarcity, water quality and flood risk challenges will only increase unless we change the way that water is managed in the landscape. The business case for a Norfolk Water Fund is compelling. WRE looks forward to working with our partners to bring the fund to life and scaling up the county’s collective investment in nature that’s so urgently needed.”
Dr Robin Price, Director of Quality and the Environment, Anglian Water said:
“We have recently submitted plans for a £9bn investment programme for our region for the period through to 2030, of which almost half will be directly used to protect, restore and enhance the environment. We have taken ‘nature-first’ approach when developing our investment plans, looking to invest in nature-based solutions for nutrient reduction, drought resilience, natural flood risk management and storm overflow treatment, as we recognised the much wider benefits these solutions bring. We’re really excited at the opportunity to combine our funding with that of others through the Norfolk Water Fund programme to ensure that we can collectively go further, faster to have the maximum benefit for the environment.”
Councillor Eric Vardy, Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, Norfolk County Council said:
“It is essential that Norfolk has sufficient water resources available to support a prosperous economy, and we know tourism, agrifood and other key sectors are heavily dependent on this. Our £150,000 contribution to the Norfolk Water Fund represents a significant investment and underlines the council’s commitment to address the water challenges we face and deliver for residents and businesses alike.”
Robert Cunningham, Europe Resilient Watersheds Program Director, The Nature Conservancy said:
“Though famed for its iconic wetlands, Norfolk is one of the UK’s driest counties – with climate change compounding concerns over water scarcity, quality, and flood risk management. This new analysis from Norfolk Water Strategy Programme shows that investing in nature will bring both environmental and economic benefits to the community. As we’ve seen in other countries around the world, the establishment of a water fund has the potential to enable the collective action needed to address Norfolk’s water challenges – and could be a model for others across the UK and Europe as well.”
