The
Environment Agency has joined forces with
Natural England to replace over 1,200 hectares
– (equivalent of 1,700 football pitches)
of habitat that will be lost forever if
action is not taken now.
The Greater Thames CHaMP
(Coastal Habitat Management Plan) kick-starts
the mission to safeguard important habitats
within the Thames estuary against the devastating
effects of climate change.
The climate is changing
and sea levels are rising, resulting in
ecologically-rich saltmarshes and mudflats
areas being washed away and lost forever.
Existing man-made flood defences make this
a problem as these important habitat areas
are trapped against the sea walls causing
the phenomenon of ‘coastal squeeze’. If
the defences weren’t there, new areas of
intertidal habitat would be naturally created
as sea levels rise.
The key findings of
the CHaMP show that the Thames estuary stands
to lose 1,200ha of internationally designated
intertidal habitat over the next 100 years.
Under legislation designed to protect these
essential habitats we need to compensate
for what will be lost by creating new areas
of habitat.
The CHaMP will inform
flood risk management and planning decisions
within the Greater Thames estuary once all
interested organisations agree.
Dave Wardle from the
Environment Agency said: “Now is the time
to act if we want to prevent the decline
of the Thames estuarine environment. The
CHaMP plays a vital role in understanding
what important habitats we have, and what
we will lose over time. We will use the
findings to inform how we might adapt our
flood defences in the future, as we know
we will have to, and ensure that we do not
lose these valuable habitats which make
our unique estuary thrive with life .”
+ More
Environment Agency appeals
for witnesses
Members of the public
could potentially hold vital clues to two
suspected flytipping incidents in Worksop,
Nottinghamshire around 27 February and 2
March 2008.
Members of the public
could potentially hold vital clues to two
suspected flytipping incidents in Worksop,
Nottinghamshire around 27 February and 2
March 2008.
The first incident: On/ around 27 February
a white articulated lorry trailer full of
tyres was left in a layby opposite Clumber
Park off the A614, Worksop.
The second incident:
On/ around the 2 March asbestos was flytipped
on the lane that leads to Manor Lodge and
Lodge Farm off the A619 Mansfield Road,
Worksop.
James Beckett from the
Environment Agency said: ‘We would especially
like to hear from anyone who might have
information about these incidents. We are
continuing our investigation and looking
at all possible avenues. Worksop has experienced
a lot of flytipping in the past 12 months.
This costs to the tax payer to clean up
flytipping is simply unacceptable.”
Anyone with knowledge
of this suspected flytipping can call the
Environment Agency’s free 24-hour incident
hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
