New project launched to enhance water management and climate resilience on the Hoo Peninsula
Wise Use of Water is along-term project led by the North Kent Marshes Water Level Management Board tobetter understand how water moves across the marshes and how it can be managedmore effectively in the future.
The north Kent marshes support a unique landscape of productive farmland,internationally important wetlands, and coastal communities. However, thearea faces increasing pressure from climate change, rising sea levels, andgrowing demand for water resources. Kent is already classified as a seriouslywater stressed area, and future projections suggest drier summers and wetterwinters, creating new challenges for both water resource and land drainage.
The programme is designed tobuild the evidence base needed to support long term water management across themarshes, working closely with farmers, conservation organisations, and publicbodies. Local knowledge and stakeholder priorities are central tothe programme, helping to identify where water could be retained, stored, orredistributed to support agriculture, biodiversity, and flood resilience.
Early work has focused onestablishing a baseline understanding of the water system, including drainagenetworks, tidal outfalls, water availability, and abstraction pressures.
On the Hoo Peninsula, this workis being delivered in partnership with the RSPB as part of the Medway Council Who’s Hoo Scheme, helping ensurethat hydrological evidence supports both landscape recovery ambitions andsustainable land management.
Across the Isle of Sheppey,South Swale, and wider marshes, Across the Isle of Sheppey and South Swalemarshes, elements of the programme are also contributing to the Flowing Futuresin Climate Resilient Polders initiative, a cross-border project linking watermanagers in Kent, northern France, and West-Flanders to share knowledge andtest innovative approaches to climate-resilient water management.
The findings will help identifypriority areas for future investment and partnership working supporting aresilient future for the north Kent marshes.
