Water Resources East appoints new managers

Water Resources East (WRE) has appointed Ben Fitzsimons as technical manager, and Dr Mhari Barnes as manager of its Water For Tomorrow project.

Fitzsimons will oversee all of WRE’s technical projects, including its core regional and catchment planning process towards the development of a water resources plan for eastern England. WRE has planned a series of local catchment workshops and regional planning conferences throughout October and November through which it will co-create a draft regional plan by early next year. More information is available HERE

Barnes has worked on flood risk and land management for the last ten years and previously held the role of national flood management and access policy adviser for the National Farmers’ Union. The Water for Tomorrow project she will oversee for WRE is a partnership of five organisations from across France and England, which aims to improve the management of water resources to increase environmental, economic and societal resilience to water scarcity and drought.

It will develop and test innovative water management approaches in three WRE areas – the Broadland Rivers, Cam and Ely Ouse, and East Suffolk catchments – as well as two French catchments in Brittany and Hauts de France. The €4m project is funded through the EU INTERREG programme and will run until March 2023.