Nature-Based Solutions

Building flood resilience in the Lismore catchment

The NBS project is a pilot that will test the role of Nature-based Solutions in reducing flood and erosion risk in the Lismore catchment; through protecting, rehabilitating and emulating the natural functions of catchments, floodplains and rivers.

Project Investor

The Nature-based Solutions: Building Flood Resilience in the Lismore Catchment project (NBS project) is funded through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Disaster Ready Fund (DRF), which is administered through the New South Wales Reconstruction Authority. Richmond Landcare Incorporated (RLI) secured $2.8 million under DRF Round One to undertake the NBS project. RLI must match this funding with $2.8 million co-contributions.

Project Overview

Objectives

The Nature-based Solutions: Building Flood Resilience in the Lismore Catchment project (DRF10128) is a pilot project and is targeting the upper sub-catchments within the Wilsons River catchment to reduce flow volume, velocity and duration through revegetation of low gradient riparian zones and floodplains that have the potential to slow, hold and store water, and reduce erosion and sedimentation under a range of flooding scenarios. It is a pilot project that aims to:

demonstrate the role of aggregated contiguous reforestation of riparian and floodplain areas on private land on reducing flood risk downstream, and
create metrics enabling the generation of carbon and biodiversity credit methodologies for use in environmental markets to support future uptake of reforestation as a nature-based solution at a landscape scale.

The final project output will be a comprehensive prospectus or business case that will be designed to guide future efforts. It will include:

Target areas for reforestation as a flood mitigation strategy in the Wilsons River catchment
Site selection criteria for regional landholders and Landcare/community groups
Species lists and planting guidelines for bush regenerators and Landcare/community groups
Pathways for accessing environmental markets to provide an economic benefit for landholders wishing to undertake

Further project details and factsheets will be available on the website soon. Please direct any enquiries to our Nature-Based Solutions Project Manager at nbs.project@richmondlandcare.org