Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts project is a largely Interreg funded project with two arms – one in Devon (the Lower Otter Restoration Project) and the other in Normandy (the Saane Valley project). The two schemes are working to restore river estuaries that have, over time, been changed in order to reclaim land. The land at both sites has flooded on numerous occasions and, with climate change, this is likely to become a regular occurrence. The projects aim to take pre-emptive action and show communities how they can adapt to meet the challenges of climate change. In the Lower Otter the project is examining the possibility, both practically and financially, of a managed realignment scheme where the River Otter meets the sea near Budleigh Salterton in East Devon. The project is being considered because the existing 200-year-old sea defences are now starting to fail and are becoming increasingly hard to maintain. This is already impacting on public infrastructure, local businesses and homes, and recreational facilities. The project is in the process of securing sufficient funding as well as planning and other consents to allow us to move towards implementing the proposals.

More information is available here: Click here for project details and  here for the River Otter work