Harnessing Nature: Innovative Approaches to Flood Mitigation and Ecosystem Restoration | WEBINAR

Hosted by the CIWEM Northern Ireland branch

Event description

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining recognition in Northern Ireland for managing floods at the catchment scale and restoring ecosystems. These approaches use natural processes to mitigate flood risks and improve environmental health. Key NbS measures include wetland restoration, reforestation, and river buffer zones, which help absorb excess water, reduce runoff, and slow water flow, lowering flood risks.

For nature restoration, NbS focuses on rehabilitating peatlands and coastal habitats. Restoring peatlands improves water retention, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, while coastal habitat restoration, including saltmarsh and seagrass beds, enhances marine biodiversity and stabilises shorelines. Tools like Arup's NatureInsight aid in identifying effective interventions, while projects like the Tochar Fen Restoration work to revive critical wetland ecosystems.

Successful NbS implementation requires collaboration among communities, government bodies, and environmental organisations, ensuring sustainable flood management with added benefits like better water quality, richer wildlife habitats, and climate resilience. Ultimately, NbS provide a valuable strategy for reducing flood risks while preserving Northern Ireland’s natural landscapes.

This webinar will take a look at these novel nature-based approaches to mitigate against the climate and ecological emergency, and explore them in further detail.

CIWEM members and non-members are welcome to attend this webinar.

Part of the CIWEM Nature-based Solutions and Flood Resilience and Adaption series.

Are you a CIWEM member? Want to find out more?

Becoming a CIWEM member gives you a globally-recognised demonstration of your professionalism and technical abilities. Whether you have just started your career or are extensively experienced, we will have a membership grade that's right for you. Click below to find out more.

Booking and joining information

This event is open to members and non-members of CIWEM. The webinar is hosted on the Zoom platform and will be recorded.

Please register your place by clicking on the registration button. Non-members who have not registered for the CIWEM system can create an account on the booking page in order to reserve their place. This should not take more than two minutes.

If you have any questions about your booking or would like to cancel your attendance, please contact barbara.woods@ciwem.org.

Please note that registrations will close at 09:00 on the day of the event. If you have not registered before that time, unfortunately we cannot add you to the event.

If you have any queries about this talk, please contact Paul Rocks at paul.rocks@jacopa.com.