University of East London-led study will work with UK agencies and global partners to explore how nature-based coastal defences could help communities facing growing flood and storm risks
Researchers at the University of East London (UEL) are leading a major international project exploring how coastlines can be better protected from flooding, storm surges and tsunamis as climate pressures intensify worldwide.
The project, led by Dr Ravindra Jayaratne from UEL’s School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE), will work with organisations including the Environment Agency and DEFRA to help improve future flood and coastal erosion risk management in the UK.
The research will examine how nature-based coastal defences such as saltmarshes could work alongside traditional engineered flood barriers to better protect vulnerable communities from extreme weather and rising sea levels.
Alongside UK agencies, the initiative brings together researchers from the USA and Japan, including collaborators from the University of Michigan and Waseda University in Tokyo.
Fieldwork will take place in The Wash, East Anglia, where researchers will gather environmental data on saltmarsh systems and coastal conditions as part of wider efforts to improve coastal resilience planning.
The project builds on two Royal Society-funded international exchange projects exploring how coastal defence structures fail during extreme wave events and how hybrid “green-grey” infrastructure could strengthen protection against flooding and tsunamis.
Researchers hope the findings could help shape future international engineering guidance for coastal infrastructure, including revisions to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ ASCE/SEI 7 standards, widely used in the design of buildings and flood defence systems around the world.
Dr Jayaratne, Reader in Coastal Engineering at UEL, has more than 25 years’ experience in coastal engineering and flood modelling and has previously contributed research incorporated into international tsunami design standards.
He said:
“Extreme coastal events are becoming an increasingly urgent global challenge as climate pressures intensify.
“This research is about ensuring that the latest scientific evidence is translated into practical engineering guidance and policy that can help protect vulnerable coastal communities.
“Nature-based solutions such as saltmarsh systems have significant potential to work alongside conventional hard engineering structures, but policymakers and engineers need stronger evidence and clearer hybrid frameworks to support implementation.”
The project has received additional funding through the Policy Impact and Participatory Research (PIPR) scheme 2026 and will produce technical policy briefings, decision-support tools and international stakeholder roundtables aimed at helping bridge the gap between academic research and real-world infrastructure planning.
Dr Jack Clough, co-investigator from UEL’s Sustainability Research Institute, said:
“Coastal resilience is no longer simply an engineering issue – it is increasingly connected to climate adaptation, environmental sustainability and long-term community resilience.
“Bringing together engineering, environmental science and policy expertise allows us to explore more sustainable and adaptable approaches to coastal protection.”
