University of Suffolk Partnering in Coastal Project

The University of Suffolk is partnering with other institutions as part of a multi-million-pound project focusing on the challenges facing coastal communities.

The £2.9million Advancing Resilience and Innovation for a Sustainable Environment (ARISE) project will focus on the Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Kent coasts which include communities from England’s highest and lowest levels of depravation.

This coastal area has inequalities in health, life expectancy, earnings and education compared to nearby inland communities and the ARISE project will implement new initiatives including educational outreach, civic engagement and arts-based events.

Professor Darryl Newport, Professor of Energy and Sustainability at the University of Suffolk and Director of the Suffolk Sustainability Institute said: “The University of Suffolk is thrilled to be part of this exciting project.

“Through engagement and education initiatives, we aim to empower residents and visitors to understand the challenges facing our coastline, from the impacts of climate change to infrastructure pressures.

“By fostering informed collaboration, we can develop effective enforcement measures to protect these precious areas, not just for those who live here today, but for generations to come."

The University of Essex is leading the project and project director, Professor Gina Yannitell Reinhardt said: “Our coastal areas are facing increasingly complex, interrelated challenges from factors like climate change, population, infrastructure pressures and the cost-of-living crisis.

“We want this ARISE Toolkit to be a legacy, offering ways to confront and mitigate these pressures to help strengthen coastal community resilience and our collective ability to thrive after disruption and change.”

The project will implement new initiatives on the English east coast including educational outreach, civic engagement and arts-based events.