Resilient Catchment Communities (RCC) is a collaborative project and approach in community monitoring of river resilience, and capacity building and capability in the design, implementation and monitoring of community-led Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to deliver Integrated Catchment Management (ICM).
NBS address societal issues such as climate change to support ecosystems, biodiversity, and human well-being. ICM is the coordinated delivery of water-based societal needs, such as flood risk, drought management, pollution control and the protection of aquatic habitats and species, in one approach.
After rainfall, water runs off our catchments quick and dirty causing flooding, pollution and at a later point drought, compared to a resilient system where water leaves slow and clean. NBS features are designed to reverse the simplification and speed up drainage patterns.
The Resilient Catchment Communities project is led by Westcountry Rivers Trust, in collaboration with Duchy College and the University of Plymouth. It will increase community understanding of river resilience and create six NBS demonstration sites across Cornwall, with a central demonstration ‘hub’ at the Duchy College Home Farm.
Through these, communities, farmers, environmental NGOs, contractors and funders can see how the density, diversity and interconnectedness of NBS measures can be delivered alongside sustainable food production and the farm business model.
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
