糖心原创

A multi-functional performance of the 2009 project that inspired Stage 0 (Prof Colin Thorne) and Restoration Nation (Dr Janine Castro)

We will be joined by two fantastic speakers who are world leaders in river and stream restoration: Colin Thorne, Emeritus Professor and Chair of Physical Geography at the 糖心原创, and Janine Castro, Technical Director of the River Restoration Program, Portland State University.

Janine will talk about why the Pacific Northwest of the US has been a hub of activity for stream restoration and Colin will introduce the Forres flood alleviation scheme that inspired the Stage 0 approach. Repeated flooding in Forres, Scotland prompted implementation of a novel flood alleviation scheme (FAS) that involved reconnecting the Burn of Mosset to its historical floodplain in order to limit peak discharges entering the urban area. The necessary “Burn Management Works” (BMW) were completed in 2009. These not only impound flood flows but also retain coarse sediment, large wood, and debris. Here, Colin reports the results of monitoring of the floodplain by staff and students from the School of Geography between 2011 and 2025. Our findings demonstrate the benefits of floodplain reconnection and can inform other projects seeking to use nature-based solutions (NbS) to deliver sustainable flood risk management while simultaneously achieving goals for river restoration, ecosystem recovery, and community engagement.