Habitats
In June 1992 the UK signed up to Agenda 21 and the Biodiversity Convention at the Rio Earth Summit. At this conference, environmental issues and concerns were addressed including the loss of the world’s biodiversity. The UK Government was one of these signatories and as a result has produced action plans, for many species and habitats detailing how they should be protected, sustained and increased.

Many of these plans have been interpreted into local actions at county level. Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex all have their own Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP). Organisations such as the Environment Agency have signed up to these plans at both national and local levels and are the lead for many freshwater and coastal species and habitats. On the coast, inter-tidal habitats such as mudflat, salt marsh and saline lagoons are being lost at alarming rates.

In order to halt this loss and fulfil the aims of the Plans the Agency is committed to replacing BAP habitats that have been lost as a result of our own works and “natural” change resulting from global climate change.

Such is the nature conservation importance of the East Anglian coast that much has been designated as a series of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). SSSI status affords valuable protection to a site ensuring damage does not occur through inappropriate management or development. SSSIs are of national importance, and much of the coast is also considered to be of international significance, especially for the wintering waterfowl populations.

 
In recognition of their international importance, some Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) have been designated under the EU Habitats Directive as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs), which support certain natural habitats or species, and under the EU Birds Directive as Special Protection Areas (SPAs), which support wild birds of European Union interest.

The Habitats Directive has been translated into UK law by the Conservation (Natural Habitat &c.) Regulations. The UK requires that the Environment Agency provide compensatory habitat under the Birds Directive, where intertidal habitat that includes SPA habitat has been squeezed against flood defences.

CHaMPs
Coastal Habitat Management Plans (CHaMPs) form an important link in the coastal planning process for managing European sites. The CHaMP tries to predict what will happen to designated species and habitats as a result of long-term shoreline changes on the coast.

The CHaMP identifies the necessary measures to ensure that future Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) and Flood and Coastal Defence Strategies are compliant with the Habitats and Birds Directives. This is achieved by predicting the total area of inter-tidal and freshwater habitat to be re-created, and where on the estuary this should be done.

The Essex Coast and Estuaries CHaMP has recently been published and can be found here