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Nature recovery and biodiversity
Nature recovery and biodiversity are critical, related fields, which address the urgent need to restore and protect our planet’s ecosystems. Despite its global standing, the UK faces significant biodiversity challenges, ranking relatively low compared to many other regions. This makes nature recovery even more important in improving the resilience of our ecosystems, as well as food and water security.
Nature recovery and biodiversity was strongly represented, as a theme, in the past year's CSaP events. Events were held on nature recovery networks and habitat connectivity, scientific advice regarding biodiversity, and how to close the gap between policy formulation and implementation regarding nature recovery.
Nature recovery networks and habitat connectivity
A policy workshop on nature recovery networks was habitat connectivity in the UK was held in partnership with National Highways. England ranks in the bottom 10% globally for biodiversity. To reverse the decline in biodiversity — thereby improving the UK's climate resilience — it is not enough to proctect habitats: we must connect nature. The workshop was used to engage relevant stakeholders to discuss a national vision of a 'strategic nature network' — which might be used as a model for local nature recovery networks. The dicussions considered how to make a strategic and business case for this network, evidence gaps, how to work this agenda into existing biodiversity policy, and how to prioritise interventions in a cost-effective way.
2024 Christ's College Climate Lecture
The 2024 Christ's College Climate Lecture was held in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Policy, the Cambridge Zero Policy Forum, and the CSaP Policy Fellows Climate and Sustainability Cluster. Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser 2018–2023, addressed climate change and biodiversity through the lens of scientific advice. He emphasised the need for systematic approaches to tackle these interconnected issues, advocating for a systems engineering perspective to address the sprawling impacts of climate change across various governmental departments. Sir Patrick pointed out recent environmental threats such as wildfires, proposing increased resilience planning, inspired by practices from countries like Australia. He also introduced the 'Biodiversity Intactness Index', which estimates the percentage of intact biodiversity compared to pre-human intervention. This underscores the necessity of actionable metrics to drive effective conservation efforts.
Making nature recovery happen
At the 2024 CSaP Annual Conference, Dame Fiona Reynolds (Deputy Chair of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission) chaired a panel dicussion on nature recovery policy. There is an urgent need for enhanced nature recovery strategies in the UK, as there are significant gaps between policy formulation and implementation. Dr. Silviu Petrovan emphasized participatory approaches and citizen science, while Jo Lucas discussed the challenges of a fragmented approach and the importance of ecosystem mapping. Matthew Gould critiqued conservation efforts for addressing symptoms rather than root causes and stressed integrating economic factors. There was general agreement on the necessity for interconnected solutions, innovative governance, and integrating nature recovery with economic frameworks, advocating for a systemic shift to address the ecological challenges effectively.