Climate emergency is one of the biggest challenges of our time. In London, a complex network of tidal defences are working harder each year, to protect the growing population and economy from rising sea levels. This growth will not be sustainable if it is not protected from flooding.
The Thames Estuary 2100 Plan was designed with climate change at its core and sets a long-term approach to managing this risk. As the first adaptive flood risk management strategy in England, it is internationally recognised by planners and climate specialists across the world. By taking an adaptive approach, we can better anticipate and respond to a range of future climate scenarios, ensuring we are investing in the right flood risk management actions at the right time, to ensure the resilience of the estuary and its communities.
Yet the success of the adaptive approach relies on collaboration with local communities, planners and place-makers who are central to developing a vision for their future riversides. There are significant social, environmental and economic benefits that could be delivered through reshaping our riversides to manage rising sea levels, including reaching net zero and tackling climate change, and creating accessible riversides that help tackle inequalities. No organisation is big enough to do this alone. Individuals, businesses and government need to work together to create a resilient Thames Estuary.
This webinar will introduce the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan, and the importance of place-making for climate adaptation in London, and showcase examples of riverside strategy approach currently being developed by the City of London and in the Royal Docks Opportunity Area (LB Newham). We will invite feedback and discussion from attendees on how this approach could be implemented across London and incorporated into other initiatives, as well as providing an opportunity for a Q&A with the presenters.
Agenda:
- An introduction to Thames Estuary 2100 and its riverside strategy approach (Helen Berthonneau Thames Estuary 2100 Implementation Team Leader - Environment Agency)
- Developing a riverside strategy in the City of London (Tim Munday Environmental Resilience Officer - City of London)
- Planning for a changing riverside in the Royal Docks Opportunity Area (Paul Creed Head of Development & PlacemakingRoyal Docks Team )
- Q&A - What is the role of place-making in adapting to rising sea levels and creating resilient future riversides in London?