Green Engineering
Green engineering applies nature-led design to river management, using natural materials and processes to stabilise banks, improve habitats, and support resilient river systems. Our work prioritises low-impact solutions that enhance river function while reducing reliance on hard engineering.
What is Green Engineering?
Green engineering is the application of engineering principles that prioritise nature-based solutions (NbS) to restore, enhance, and protect river systems while delivering multiple ecosystem services such as flood risk reduction, water quality improvement, biodiversity recovery, and climate resilience.
Green engineering approaches typically:
- Mimic or reinstate natural river and floodplain processes
- Use natural materials (e.g. wood, earth, vegetation) rather than concrete or steel
- Are adaptive, resilient, and self-sustaining over time
- Deliver multiple benefits beyond the primary objective
- Are designed with careful consideration to all legal site constraints and are suited to the specific location
How We Use It
WRT aim to implement green engineering in all project work; this can come in many forms. Below is a list of green engineering methods WRT use regularly across the Wear catchment.
- Natural Flood Management (NFM) Leaky woody dams, floodplain reconnection, offline storage, and runoff attenuation features to slow, store, and filter water.
- River restoration and re-naturalisation Re-meandering, removal or softening of hard bank protection, gravel augmentation, and restoring natural sediment transport.
- Green bank stabilisation Bioengineering techniques such as willow spilling, coir rolls, and vegetated berms to reduce erosion while improving habitat.
- Wetland and riparian creation Constructed wetlands, riparian buffers, and reedbeds to improve water quality, support wildlife, and sequester carbon.
- Catchment-scale solutions Soil management, tree planting, and land-use change upstream to address problems at source rather than treating symptoms downstream.
Benefits of Green Engineering
Green engineering aligns closely with Rivers Trust objectives by:
Supporting catchment-based approaches (CaBA)
Delivering cost-effective, long-term solutions
Enhancing biodiversity net gain and ecosystem services
Contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation
Engaging communities through visible, nature-positive interventions
Get Involved
Take part in practical conservation, volunteering and community action that supports healthier rivers and thriving wildlife.
Support Our Work
Help fund vital biodiversity and conservation projects that protect habitats and deliver lasting benefits for nature and people.