Britain Reintroduces Beavers After 400 Years to Curb Climate-Driven Flooding
Updated
Updated · NPR · May 21
Britain Reintroduces Beavers After 400 Years to Curb Climate-Driven Flooding
13 articles · Updated · NPR · May 21
Britain is bringing back beavers roughly 400 years after they were hunted to extinction, using the animals’ dam-building to help slow floodwaters.
Those dams hold back and spread water across landscapes, a natural flood-management tool as climate change drives heavier rainfall and higher flooding risks.
Communities are treating the reintroduction as part of climate adaptation, harnessing beavers as low-tech ecosystem engineers rather than relying only on built defenses.
Why is the UK blocking flood defense funds for beaver projects starting this July?
Can reintroducing an extinct mammal help Britain achieve its national climate goals?