Despite increasing incidents of flooding in our part of the world, Mid Norfolk is in fact located in one of the most water-stressed parts of the country. While there are periods in which we have far too much water, there are also significant parts of the year where we don’t have enough.

That’s why I am pleased to hear about the Norfolk Rivers Trust’s Water Sensitive Farming Initiative is now entering its next phase. With the support of Coca Cola, they are set to build on their great work to date and replenish an additional 500 million litres of water through projects aimed at reversing the decline of freshwater environments in the county.

By doing so, biodiversity is boosted (especially around the 58 globally rare and threatened chalk streams in East Anglia), soil health and water quality is improved, and flood risk can be significantly mitigated. Groundwater protection and carbon storage also play a key role (further benefiting our local environment) and our region retains more of the water it needs to sustain itself – just in a much more managed/helpful manner.

This joint initiative between Norfolk Rivers Trust and Coca Cola has already delivered positive benefits for the Norfolk Broads and, even closer to home, the River Wensum Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest. I look forward to seeing the next phase progress and to supporting similar such projects that not only serve to protect and enhance our precious rural environment, but also tackle major issues like flooding.

To learn more, please visit the Norfolk Rivers Trust website here.