Working with nature: challenges of working in a changing climate on coasts and estuaries

The number of nature based solutions and ecological engineering are growing at pace. But how do they well do they work in practice in standing up to extreme weather and climate change?

This panel discusses a range of views from across the coastal and estuarine sector to examine the challenges and best practice. We’ll examine nature based solutions and ecological engineering from a range of angles, including their viability in a changing climate, key financials challenges and lessons learnt in implications learning from UK examples and elsewhere.

From leaders working in different sectors, we’ll question how well nature based solutions and ecological engineering could fare physical, governance, engineering, financial and economic perspectives.

About the speakers

Professor Pierre Failler, Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Business and Law and Director of the Centre for Blue Governance, University of Portsmouth.

Professor Failler is the Director of the Centre for Blue Governance at the University of Portsmouth. He holds the UNESCO Chair in Ocean Governance.

He coordinates complex research projects with multidisciplinary teams for more than 25 years in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, and Pacific coastal and island countries in collaboration with national research institutions and universities and a close link with policy bodies.

He has coordinated about 20 Blue Economy Strategies for which Nature-based Solutions for restoration of ecosystems are central. He has authored and co-authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, research reports, consultancy reports. He is also a Scientific evaluator for several research councils in UK, Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.

Dr Helen Jay, Senior National Consultant - Coast, National Trust.

The National Trust have long advocated the need to work with, rather than against nature, through their Shifting Shores approach. In her role as national coastal lead, Helen provides advice and technical support to property teams who look after almost 900 miles of incredibly diverse coastline across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Prior to joining the Trust, she worked for over 23 years in consultancy, specifically in the development of shoreline management plans and coastal strategies; providing advice on coastal management to a range of organisations, including Defra, QinetiQ, Environment Agency, NRW and local authorities.

With her background in coastal geomorphology, Helen is particularly passionate about embedding understanding of coastal processes and geomorphological response into the development of approaches for coastal risk management and habitat restoration, including nature-based solutions.

Dr Lydia Burgess-Gamble, Biodiversity Net Gain Strategic Lead, Southern Water.

Lydia has a lifelong passion for restoring natural processes to benefit people and wildlife, deepened through her PhD on river restoration monitoring, which informed a UK national guide. With over 23 years in the environmental sector, she has worked as a Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) specialist across public service and consultancy roles.

She is currently Biodiversity Net Gain Strategic Lead for Southern Water, where she is developing strategic habitat creation and restoration opportunities to offset the impacts of engineering projects. Lydia led the development of the UK’s Natural Flood Management (NFM) evidence directory, helping shift flood management from engineered approaches to nature-based solutions. She also co-developed a national NFM research programme with a UK research council.

Internationally, Lydia co-authored the fluvial chapters within the United States Army Corps of Engineers Natural and Nature-Based Features guidelines. She also led the EU-funded Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts project which restored coastal wetlands in England and France. This sparked her interest in estuarine and coastal NBS, leading to the creation of innovative coastal and marine strategies for the Environment Agency.

Lucy Sheffield, Team Leader / Subject Matter Expert – Environmental Improvements & Habitat Restoration, Coastal Partners.

Lucy has an MSc in Marine and Coastal Resource Management and over 24 years' experience working in the coastal and environmental sector, with a particular focus on blue green infrastructure initiatives.

Lucy has been the driving force behind innovative, forward thinking and award-winning environmental improvements, that have been successfully incorporated into significant coastal defence projects. These improvements include textured eco-formliner incorporated into a new concrete seawall which encourages marine flora and fauna to thrive.

It was awarded a Flood and Coast Excellence Award in 2022, ECOncrete and rock munched tidal pools to encourage water retention and marine life to flourish, creation of a bird island in Langstone Harbour and implementation of a ‘seed rock’ technique for Southsea’s coastal scheme for recolonisation of a new rock revetment. 

Booking information

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