The Fens is a uniquely vital landscape. It is home to 600,000 people and is responsible for producing a third of England’s vegetables. The region provides immense natural capital such as clean water, food production, recreation and carbon storage in its peat soils.
However, since 87% of the land sits below the mean spring tide level, the region’s survival depends entirely on a complex drainage system. This system manages water from 12% of England’s total landmass. Sustaining economic stability in cities like Cambridge, Peterborough, and Lincoln relies fundamentally on the resilience of this infrastructure.
We are now facing a period of accelerating risk. Ageing assets and the climate crisis, marked by rising sea levels and intense storms, mean that traditional management is no longer sufficient. Without coordinated intervention, the risk of cascading failures will grow and threaten the national economy. To meet this challenge, the Fens 2100+ programme was established to develop a long-term strategy to safeguard the region’s future.
The Fens 2100+ Partnership provides a platform for collaboration, planning and shared action as a multi-agency approach. It aims to secure a climate-resilient future for the Fens by aligning investment, strengthening system performance, and ensuring the decisions we take today are the right ones.
On 2nd April, the Partnership published a series of reports.
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Catchment Baseline Reports
The Environment Agency says: “For the first time, we have a collective set of robust evidence and important insights about flood risk and asset performance across the Fens. This equips decision-makers to shape the future of the Fens with confidence and clarity.
The baseline summary report outlines evidence from the 7 Catchment Baseline Reports. It brings together data and insights from risk management authorities (RMAs) on their experience of managing flood risk assets.”
The report includes:
- The historical and environmental context
- The function of flood risk assets and their economic impact
- Current and future flood risks
- Investment challenges and opportunities
There are also 7 individual catchment baseline reports available.
You can read the reports here.
Case for Change
The Fens 2100+ Case for Change builds upon the Catchment Baseline Reports. The Case for Change:
- presents an unequivocal call to action to safeguard one of the United Kingdom’s most strategically important regions
- demonstrates that the Fens faces a convergence of pressures that now demands decisive, coordinated and longterm intervention
- sets out a compelling, evidence based rationale for transforming how flood, coastal, and water management infrastructure is planned, funded, and delivered across this critical region
The Partnership Action Plan offers clear, practical steps that combine near-term risk mitigation with long-term transformation. The Fens 2100+ partnership is focused on delivering this Partnership Action Plan.