The Fens, also known as the Fenlands, were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural part of the region. Half of the UK’s most fertile agricultural land is in the Fens, providing a fifth of the nation’s crops and a third of its vegetables.
Complex engineering over centuries has made this land viable as a place to live, work and grow crops, but the Fens is on the front line of extreme weather patterns and lies within a few metres of sea level. If lost to flooding by the sea, this land cannot be reclaimed, and th UK would become very reliant on imported foods.
The Future Fens project is our solution for developing national resilience in the face of a changing climate across a complex low-lying landscape.
Together, Fen communities, water organisations, businesses and partners from local and national government are joining forces in a ground-breaking partnership that takes a multi-sector approach to water supply and flood management, to create environmental and social prosperity in the region.
View the Future Fens manifesto here
