Zulu Ecosystems and Severn Trent Water secure Innovate UK funding to pioneer catchment-scale Nature-based Solutions

• Partnership aims to develop innovative funding model for nature-based solutions that enhance water resilience in the Idle and Torne catchment, a priority area for environmental improvement
• Project will aggregate supply and demand for ecosystem services across the 1,200km² catchment, benefiting both nature and local communities
• Led by Zulu Ecosystems, the collaboration seeks to accelerate private investment in nature recovery while addressing critical water challenges

LONDON, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zulu Ecosystems and Severn Trent Water have been awarded funding from Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency, for a £580,000 project to develop a groundbreaking catchment system operator model for unlocking private investment in nature. The project aims to enhance water resilience and deliver multiple benefits for both nature and local communities in the Idle and Torne River catchment.

The Idle and Torne catchment, identified as a priority catchment by the Environment Agency, faces significant challenges including drought risk, flood vulnerability, and water quality issues. Approximately 60% of water bodies in the catchment currently fail to meet good ecological status. However, the area also presents substantial opportunities for nature recovery, with potential to restore over 5,000 hectares of priority habitats and significantly improve water resources management.

This innovative partnership will leverage Zulu Ecosystems' cutting-edge natural capital assessment capabilities and Severn Trent Water's expertise in water management to create a scalable approach for funding and delivering nature-based solutions. The project will focus on interventions such as woodland creation, wetland restoration, and riparian woodland to address the catchment's pressing environmental challenges. The project will engage local stakeholders, including farmers, landowners, and community groups, to ensure that interventions reflect local needs and knowledge.

Ed Asseily, CEO of Zulu Ecosystems, said:

"This funding from Innovate UK is a game-changer for how we approach local nature recovery and water resilience. By developing a catchment-scale model that aggregates both the supply of and demand for ecosystem services, we can accelerate the flow of private capital into nature-based solutions."

Severn Trent Water will play a key role as the project's System Operator, strategically coordinating plans and aligning stakeholder priorities to maximise outcomes for water services and the environment.

Richard Smith, Strategic Asset Planning Manager at Severn Trent Water, commented:

"We're excited to partner with Zulu Ecosystems on this transformative project. By adopting a system operator approach, we can ensure that investments in nature-based solutions deliver the greatest possible benefits for our customers, local communities, and the environment."

This project has been funded by Innovate UK as part of the 'Integrating Finance and Biodiversity for a Nature Positive Future' programme, a joint initiative between the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Innovate UK. This £7 million programme aims to develop solutions that embed the values of biodiversity into financial decision-making.

By bridging the gap between nature recovery and water resilience, this project has the potential to create a replicable model for sustainable landscape management across the UK. Innovate UK's support underscores the national significance of developing new approaches to environmental management that can deliver multiple benefits, including improved water security, enhanced biodiversity, climate resilience, and potential new income streams for landowners.

Over the next 9 months, the project team will work closely with local stakeholders to identify priority interventions and develop a portfolio of investable nature-based solutions. The project aims to demonstrate how multi-stakeholder nature-based projects can be developed, funded, and delivered at catchment-scale to address climate adaptation and reverse biodiversity loss. Findings will be published to help scale similar initiatives across the UK and beyond.

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