A partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the University of Georgia will establish a collaborative network of public-private partners to deliver nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure to strengthen community resilience, reports USACE.

The new program, Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN), connects the USACE Engineering With Nature_® (EWN_®) Initiative with UGA’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS).

USACE provided UGA with $2.5 million to establish N-EWN. The program will provide a variety of tools and products, as well as serve as an outreach mechanism for researchers and practitioners working on nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure projects.

Examples of “nature-based solutions” includes: constructing sand dunes to diminish storm surge and waves, creating floodplains along rivers to allow reduce flood risks to communities and designing wetlands that filter out pollution and provide habitat.

“This is a critical time for investment in our nation’s infrastructure, and N-EWN will be a valuable lever for advancing practice in the 21st century,” said Dr. Todd Bridges, EWN national lead. “The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center is proud to be partnering with UGA in this powerful research collaboration.”

U.S. Geological Survey photo by Karen Morgan