REGENYSYS: Designing regenerative regional living systems - enabling a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing in the Thames Estuary

REGENYSYS将为泰晤士河河口的循环生物经济创造有利的生态系统。在生物多样性中，有机资源循环是封闭的（材料再利用/再循环和能源回收），以生产生物质或生物产品，同时也恢复当地生态系统和生态系统服务（供应、支持、监管和文化）。由于更多地获得当地生产的可持续食品和清洁能源（供应服务）、更健康的生态系统（健康的土壤、清洁的水、多样化的当地野生动物支持服务）、改善的环境监管（碳封存、水文管理）以及拥有多种娱乐机会的美丽环境，当地社区的福祉得到改善。CBW为当地人提供了新的培训、经济机会和就业机会，为生活在河口的后代创造了新的生活道路。这种转变增强了社区对气候变化和资源短缺的适应能力。研究区域从格雷斯（埃塞克斯）/达特福德（肯特）延伸到北海，包括肯特和埃塞克斯的河边地区，被认为是该国一些最贫困的地区。有机材料（污水、粮食和农业废物）目前在该地区未得到充分利用，但可以更有效地用于生产生物质和生物产品。生化武器所需的部分基础设施系统、活动和物流链正在出现。然而，它们是新生的，没有联系。当地的食品生产者是河口最贫穷的群体之一。由于对化石燃料和进口粮食的依赖，粮食短缺和能源贫困对更广泛的社区来说是一个问题。然而，当地有机会获得农业和海洋食品系统以及可再生能源。粮食和能源系统中存在创新项目（水产养殖、当地鱼类等）、闲置产能（如未充分利用的温室和农业用地）和浪费的潜力（有机废物流），这些都可以实现生化武器。海洋和陆地生态系统受到气候变化（海平面上升、洪水和干旱）、发展、农业和工业污染物的威胁。采用循环生物经济可以改善这种情况。但是，必须更好地了解资源闭环（生物量/生物产品）、生态系统健康（特别是支持、调节、提供服务）和社区福祉之间的相互作用，以确定总体影响。下一代人将负责执行《禁止化学武器公约》。然而，目前年轻一代的就业机会有限，这是由于该群体内部技能短缺造成的。年轻人也缺乏对当地生态系统管理的意识或兴趣，这可以通过制定明确的生化武器发展路径来解决。该项目将与当地利益相关者一起创建一个区域生活实验室，探索实施生化武器的潜力。我们将绘制当前系统及其动态，并确定支持河口生化武器出现的杠杆点。我们将确定关闭资源循环、恢复健康的生态系统和创造社区福祉之间的协同作用和冲突。我们将与当地利益相关者一起，利用当地现有的潜力，共同设计活体实验，以促进生化武器的出现。这些实验将有助于我们了解影响实施和扩大的因素，同时为想要参与生化武器的年轻人建立发展途径。该项目最终将制定发展战略、政策和设计工具箱、设计过程、培训和推广计划，使河口区得以转型，并帮助其他社区也这样做。

REGENYSYS will create the enabling ecosystem for a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing (CBW) in the Thames Estuary. In a CBW organic resource loops are closed (material reuse/ recycling and energy recovery) to produce biomass or bioproducts, whilst also restoring local ecosystems and ecosystem services (provisioning, support, regulatory and cultural). The well-being of the local community improves due to increased access to locally produced, sustainable food and clean energy (provisioning services), healthier ecosystems (healthy soils, clean water, diverse local wildlife - supporting services), improved environmental regulation (carbon sequestration, hydrological management) and access to a beautiful environment with diverse recreational opportunities. The CBW provides new training, economic opportunities, and jobs for local people, creating new life paths for future generations living in the Estuary. This transformation increases the community's resilience to climate change and resource scarcity.The region of study stretches from Grays (Essex)/ Dartford (Kent) to the North Sea, encompassing the riverside areas of Kent and Essex, identified as being home to some of the most deprived wards in the country. Organic materials (sewage, food and agricultural waste) are currently under exploited in the region, yet could be used more effectively to produce biomass and bioproducts. Parts of the infrastructural system, activities and logistics chains required for a CBW are emerging. However, they are nascent and not linked-up. Local food producers are amongst the poorest groups in the Estuary. Food scarcity and energy poverty, due to dependence on fossil fuels and imported food, is problematic for the wider community. Yet there is local access to agricultural and marine food systems and renewable energy resources. There are innovative projects (aquaculture, fish local etc), spare capacity (e.g. under utilized greenhouses and agricultural land) and wasted potential (organic waste streams) in both food and energy systems, which could enable the CBW.Marine and land-based ecosystems are threatened by climate change (sea-level rise, flooding, and drought), development, agricultural and industrial pollutants. The adoption of a circular bioeconomy could improve this situation. However, the interactions between closing resource loops (biomass/bioproducts), ecosystem health (supporting, regulating, provisioning services particularly) and community wellbeing must be better understood, to determine the overall impact. The next generation will be responsible for implementing the CBW. However, currently there are limited job opportunities for the younger generation, perpetuated by skills shortages within the group. There is also a lack of awareness or interest in the stewardship of the local ecosystem amongst the young, which might be addressed by creating clear CBW development pathways.The project will create a regional Living Laboratory, with local stakeholders, in which to explore the potential for implementing the CBW. We will map current systems, their dynamics and identify leverage points supporting the emergence of the CBW in the Estuary. We will determine the synergies and conflicts between closing resource loops, restoring healthy ecosystems and generating community wellbeing. Together with local stakeholders we will co-design living experiments, building on existing local potential, to facilitate the emergence of a CBW. These experiments will help us to understand the factors affecting implementation and scale-up, whilst establishing a development pathway for young people wanting to engage in the CBW. The project will ultimately produce a development strategy, policy and design toolboxes, design process, training and outreach programmes, enabling the Estuary to transform, and helping other communities to do the same.