Future Fens Integrated Adaptation (FFIA)
Future Fens: Integrated Adaptation is a strategic partnership initiative, with the aim of working together across sectors to determine the actions that partners involved in managing water across the landscape can jointly take to secure a vibrant future for the Fens.
Where are The Fens?
The Fens are a unique region in eastern England, primarily covering the counties of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and parts of Essex. This low-lying landscape is known for its extensive wetlands, marshes, and drained areas, many of which have been converted into farmland over the centuries.
The Fens are bordered by the Wash to the north and the North Sea to the east, and they are renowned for being particularly vulnerable to flooding and climate change due to their low elevation, with large parts lying below sea level.
Challenges for The Fens
The Fens, covering 432,500 km², face major climate challenges, from flooding and drought to biodiversity loss. Home to 750,000 people and vital farmland, much of the region lies below 6m above sea level, relying on 17,000 flood management systems to stay dry.
Climate change causes rainfall to fluctuate, leading to both floods and droughts, which strain water resources and impact agriculture and biodiversity. With a growing population and increasing climate pressures, securing long-term water supplies is a critical challenge that demands urgent action.
The Fens are bordered by the Wash to the north and the North Sea to the east, and they are renowned for being particularly vulnerable to flooding and climate change due to their low elevation, with large parts lying below sea level.
Why the Fens Matter
The Fens are crucial to the UK’s food production, supplying a fifth of the country’s crops and a third of its vegetables. Prolonged droughts could threaten this vital source of food. However, intensive agriculture and engineered landscapes have confined the region’s unique biodiversity to small, vulnerable habitats, which are also at risk from climate change. These habitats, including wetlands and peatlands, store carbon and support wildlife. Without action to protect and sustainably manage them, biodiversity will continue to decline. Climate risks also hold back development, trapping communities in low-wage economies. Without adaptation, the Fens could face displacement and a sharp decline in agricultural output, increasing the UK’s reliance on food imports.
Climate Change Impact on the Fens
The Fens face increasing threats from rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and soil degradation. Immediate action is needed to protect its future.
Climate change is already having a visible impact on the Fens and it’s set to get worse. We’re facing more frequent and intense flooding—whether from heavy rain, rising seas, or rivers—plus heatwaves and droughts.
While the UK Government has produced national Climate Change Risk Assessments (CCRA), these don’t provide enough detail on how climate change will specifically affect the Fens and its unique challenges.
The Fens Climate Change Risk Assessment aims to build a solid evidence base on the climate risks facing the region. It will help professionals and partners come together to make strategic decisions about how we adapt the Fens for the future.
Fens Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA):
The CCRA, researched and produced by the Tyndall Climate Centre proves a unique place-based data-driven understanding of climate risks. It outlines vulnerabilities and opportunities for adaptation and serves as the evidence base guiding FFIA’s strategic direction.
Watch the FFIA CCRA launch video here.
The infographs below show impact to agriculture, biodiversity, drought, floofing and heat. Click to enlarge.
Exploring a Regenerative Future for the Fens: Transition Lab Phase 1 – North Star Transition
The Fens Transition Lab, delivered by North Star Transition, is a pioneering initiative aimed at exploring how the Fens can adapt to climate change while unlocking socio-economic benefits for the region. Through a series of workshops and collaborative engagement with local stakeholders, the Transition Lab has developed a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Fens.
Why is this important?
The Fens region is at a crossroads, balancing the needs of profitable and resilient agriculture, infrastructure development, land use transformation, and environmental sustainability. The Transition Lab has identified five key themes crucial for driving change, including innovative agricultural practices, sustainable infrastructure, and enhanced economic networks.
The insights gathered in Phase 1 are paving the way for strategic actions that can transform the region into a thriving, regenerative landscape. This work is essential for building resilience against climate change while ensuring long-term socio-economic prosperity for the region.
Read the Full Report
Discover the detailed findings is the Phase 1 report from North Star Transition
The Fens Transition Lab, delivered by North Star Transition, is a pioneering initiative aimed at exploring how the Fens can adapt to climate change while unlocking socio-economic benefits for the region. Through a series of workshops and collaborative engagement with local stakeholders, the Transition Lab has developed a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Fens.
Why is this important?
The Fens region is at a crossroads, balancing the needs of profitable and resilient agriculture, infrastructure development, land use transformation, and environmental sustainability. The Transition Lab has identified five key themes crucial for driving change, including innovative agricultural practices, sustainable infrastructure, and enhanced economic networks.
The insights gathered in Phase 1 are paving the way for strategic actions that can transform the region into a thriving, regenerative landscape. This work is essential for building resilience against climate change while ensuring long-term socio-economic prosperity for the region.
Read the Full Report
Discover the detailed findings is the Phase 1 report from North Star Transition
Our Sponsors
From Insights to Action: Transition Lab Phase 2 – North Star Transition
Building on the insights from Phase 1, the Transition Lab has now entered Phase 2. Led by North Star Transition, this next stage brings together a vast and diverse range of stakeholders from across the Fens to co-develop practical, investable solutions that will help shape a secure and prosperous future for the region.
Phase 2 is designed to move the conversation from discussion into delivery. Collaborative work is now focused on five themes: profitable and resilient agriculture, mid-level infrastructure, land-use transformation, methods to improve soil, water, air and biodiversity, and economic networks for regenerative outputs. Together these provide the foundations for tackling the Fens’ biggest challenges – from water security and farming resilience to nature recovery and regional prosperity.
It also explores how wider benefits, such as those enabled by proposed new reservoirs, can be realised across the whole landscape.
The Food and Farming Opportunities Study
Did You Know?
Man-Made Marvel:
The Fens were once wild wetlands but were transformed into fertile farmland by 17th-century drainage projects. Today, much of the land sits below sea level, safeguarded by a complex network of dykes and pumps.
Food Powerhouse:
Known as Britain’s “Breadbasket,” the Fens produce a huge chunk of the UK’s vegetables and cereals, from potatoes to sugar beets, thanks to rich peat soils.
Wildlife Haven:
Despite the farmland, the Fens are teeming with wildlife. Nature reserves like Wicken Fen are hotspots for rare birds and wetland species.
History Runs Deep:
From ancient settlements to the iconic Ely Cathedral, the Fens are steeped in history and culture, attracting visitors from far and wide.
Climate Change Frontline:
Sitting below sea level, the Fens are highly vulnerable to rising seas, flooding, and soil loss. Climate adaptation isn’t just important here – it’s essential.
Get Involved – Join us in shaping the future of the Fens
