REGENYSYS

Designing regenerative regional living systems – enabling a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing in the Thames Estuary

REGENYSYS is a 5-year, interdisciplinary project, funded by the ESRC, which will explore the potential to implement a regenerative, regional living system in the Thames Estuary. The aim of the project is to build the capacity within the local community to regenerate the local ecosystem, and the services it provides, to benefit the health and wellbeing of all those living in the Estuary.

What we hope for…

It is hoped that taking such an approach will produce:

A healthy and climate resilient ecosystem;
A local economy based on the restoration of ecosystem services, renewable energy and valorized organic waste;
Affordable, locally produced food and renewable energy;
An increase in local habitats and biodiversity;
Unpolluted waterways, reduction in organic waste and healthy soils;
Local stewardship of ecosystem services;
The engagement of young people in the circular bioeconomy.

Thus, the project will put in place the components required for a circular bioeconomy. It will build the willingness and capacity for local young people to engage with it. The project will identify the levers needed to ensure this transformation process.

Why is it groundbreaking?

This project is groundbreaking because it deals with the regenerative transformation of such a large and complex system. It will use practice tools for systemic design to determine locally appropriate pathways for future development. It will provide a greater understanding of how these tools work in practice at this scale. It will also demonstrate the challenges of attempting a transformation of this nature at scale.

A regional living lab…

The project will create a regional living lab, in which transition experiments and a transformational educational program, will build local capacity and support for a new, regenerative circular bioeconomy in the Thames Estuary.

Background

The Thames Estuary is close to London, in the South East of England. It stretches from the Dartford Crossing, in the west, to the North Sea in the east. It is a naturally striking region, encompassing the river, urban and industrial areas, agricultural land and brownfield sites, salt marshes, mud flats, conservation areas and historic sites. The area is biodiverse, offering a range of protected species and habitats. It produces resources including food and renewable energy. It’s sea grass meadows sequester carbon and salt marshes protect the coastline from flooding. The river offers cultural and recreational opportunities for local people and tourists. It is also a region in which there is huge potential for innovation. The ecosystem services offered by the area could provide new opportunities for the young people living there. However, those employed in the regeneration of ecosystem services are often poorly paid ( e.g. farmers, fishers, conservationists, etc).

The Thames Estuary suffers from a range of issues common to many estuarine regions. Declining industry and primary production, skills-base and rising unemployment are a problem. It was listed as a Category 1 Area for Levelling-up. Thus, there are pockets of deprivation where the population also suffer fuel and food poverty. Yet, land lies fallow and greenhouses are empty. The local economy has been reliant on non-renewable resources and has produced a great deal of waste. Industrial, urban and agricultural activities have degraded the land-based and marine ecosystems. The estuary is also threatened by climate change, sea-level rise and warming waters. London has a parasitic relationship with the region. It consumes resources (e.g. food) produced, whilst also disposing of waste in the region. However, many of those working in London, live in the region, because of it’s natural beauty, cultural activities and excellent transport links. Thus, it is important to take care of the natural environment and it’s local inhabitants.

The REGENYSYS project aims to create a regenerative regional living system, by generating the capacity, to build a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing in the Thames Estuary. This will regenerate local ecosystem services to benefit local food production, wildlife, flood management, soil quality, aid in carbon sequestration and provide recreational opportunities for local people. It will also harvest organic waste to produce feedstock, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and produce bioenergy. These activities will offer new economic opportunities for residents living in the region, as well as benefit the local ecosystem.

The project

Aims

The REGENYSYS project aims to create a regenerative regional living system in the Thames Estuary, by generating the capacity, to build a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing (Figure 1). This approach will help to regenerate local ecosystem services, to benefit local food production, wildlife, flood management, soil quality, aid in carbon sequestration and provide recreational opportunities for local people. It will also harvest organic waste to produce feedstock, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and produce bioenergy. These activities will offer new economic opportunities for residents living in the region, as well as benefit the local ecosystem.

Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing (Image)

Figure 1. Circular bioeconomy of wellbeing

Living Lab

The team will set-up a living lab in the Thames Estuary to explore the potential for creating a regenerative, circular bioeconomy of wellbeing. The team will work with local stakeholders to determine the potential for systems change in the estuary (producing a problem framing report and systems mapping) identifying both the challenges and levers for systemic transformation. The team will explore future development pathways with local stakeholders ( producing a future development strategy), using the three horizons approach. The systems mapping and future development strategy, will inform the transition experiments.

Experiments

The team will engage with local stakeholders, particularly pioneers in the circular bioeconomy, to develop transition experiments, which benefit the local community. These projects will focus in 4 key sub-systems in the region, where there is opportunity for transformation (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Four subsystems for transformation

The team will also develop an experimental educational programme, with local education providers and pioneers in circular bioeconomy, for young people living in the estuary, so they too can be part of this transformation process. The educational programme will be for 12-15 year olds, introduced into local schools through the STEM ambassador’s programme. Activities will include talks (with academics and pioneers in the CBW), games, field visits, experiences and citizen science. Thames Estuary Partnership will also set up an internship programme for young people aged 16+.

The impact of the experimental education programme and transition experiments will be monitored. The whole process will be recorded and analysed to inform the transition strategy. The tools and methodologies developed, and lessons learnt from the project will be available to be used by other communities wishing to adopt a similar regenerative approach to development (toolbox for communities). There will be several outputs from the project (Figure 3).

Outputs

Figure 3. Project outputs summary

Research design

The theoretical frameworks and tools

The REGENYSYS project utilises the systemic design framework adopted by the UK Design Council developed by (Jones and Van Ael 2022). The framework combines “systems thinking”, “design thinking” and transition frameworks to understand systems and design interventions which will produce a systemic transformation.

What is a regenerative system?

Put simply, a regenerative system is a system which has the capacity to regenerate. The goal is to improve the ecological and social wellbeing of the system, by building capacity, amongst the actors in the system, to do so. Once built this capacity enables the ongoing transformation of the system. Regenerative systems utilise local resources effectively, by engaging those with the knowledge in the process of determining future development pathways. This also means that the pathways arrived at, are locally appropriate.

Source: Buckton, S.J., Fazey, I., Sharpe, B., Om, E.S., Doherty, B., Ball, P., Denby, K., Bryant, M., Lait, R., Bridle, S. and Cain, M., 2023. The Regenerative Lens: A conceptual framework for regenerative social-ecological systems. One Earth, 6(7), pp.824-842.

What is a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing?

A circular bioeconomy of wellbeing, is an economy based on activities which restore and enhance ecosystem services ( support, provisioning, regulating and cultural services) and use organic waste to produce bioproducts and biomass. These activities create jobs, produce income and enhance wellbeing.

Source: Palahí, M., Pantsar, M., Costanza, R., Kubiszewski, I., Potočnik, J., Stuchtey, M., Nasi, R., Lovins, H., Giovannini, E., Fioramonti, L., Dixson-Declève, S., McGlade, J., Pickett, K., Wilkinson, R., Holmgren, J., Trebeck, K., Wallis, S., Ramage, M., Berndes, G., Akinnifesi, F.K., Ragnarsdóttir, K.V., Muys, B., Safonov, G., Nobre, A.D., Nobre, C., Ibañez, D., Wijkman, A., Snape, J., Bas, L. 2020. Investing in Nature as the true engine of our economy: A 10-point Action Plan for a Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing. Knowledge to Action 02, European Forest Institute.

Project delivery

The project’s duration is 60 months, 1^st April 2024 – 31^st March 2029. There will be 7 work packages producing the outputs listed in Figure 3. The timeline for delivery over the 5 years is illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Timeline for delivery

The project requires that a range of stakeholder groups are engaged at various stages in the research, in order to facilitate the workshops, set-up and participate in the transition experiments and educational activities. Thus a programme for engagement and capacity building is outlined (Figure 5)

REGENYSYS - Timeline for capacity building

Figure 5. Timeline for capacity building

Project team

Professor Jo Williams (University College London)

Principal Investigator

Expert in regenerative systems, systems transformation, circular bioeconomy, systemic design thinking, net zero, climate adaptation, ecosystem services, spatial planning and regional governance.

Dr Simon Jude (Cranfield University)

Co-Investigator

Expert in living labs, carbon climate adaptation and environmental risk, environment and agrifood, environmental policy and regulation, monitoring and environmental informatics, natural capital, water science and engineering.

Dr Lisa Juangbhnaich (University College London)

Lead Post-doctoral Researcher

Expert in sustainable development, sustainable businesses, climate mitigation and adaptation, sustainability education, spatial planning, regional governance.

Dr Irene Pluchinotta (University College London)

Co-Investigator

Expert in “Systems Thinking for Sustainability”, provides formal support systems for designing urban sustainability strategies and net-zero policies.

Dr Theresa Mercer (Cranfield University)

Co-Investigator

Expert in environment, environmental education, and health, environmental impacts, natural capital, soil, resources sustainable land systems, waste management and resource efficiency.

Project partners

Opportunities