VENTURA - virtual decision rooms for water neutral planning

The aim of VENTURA is to create and test a prototype digital tool for collaborative early-stage strategic planning for future water management. VENTURA is a 24-month applied research project that started in September 2021 focusing on study areas in Greater Manchester and Enfield, London. The project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Research Council as part of their Digital Economies: Sustainable Digital Societies1 programme. This Briefing Note covers work in Greater Manchester; a separate note has been produced for the Enfield study. VENTURA is an interdisciplinary team of systems thinking and digital geoscience researchers from Imperial College London (ICL), University College London (UCL), and British Geological Survey (BGS). The Greater Manchester study is supported by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), United Utilities (UU) and the Environment Agency (EA), and focuses on the Upper Mersey Catchment. This group formed an integrated water management trilateral partnership prior to VENTURA in 20212. Their aim is to influence and deliver sustainable growth in Greater Manchester by improving flood risk resilience, enhancing the environment, driving circular economy approaches, and supporting regeneration