Today saw the publication of a report from the Environment Agency that reveals the magnitude of change required to stop England’s biodiversity and climate disaster.
It outlines the substantial changes that will be required to the way land is utilized in England, including the deployment of large-scale landscape-scale interventions, nature-based solutions to aid in the recovery of wildlife, and human mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
The environment agency experts’ “Working with Nature” report outlines the worldwide issues affecting the necessities for life on Earth, including food, clean water, and climate control.
An existential threat to human survival is described as the probable loss of intricate natural ecosystems that offer such necessities.
Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan today spoke about the “silent spring” that awaits humanity unless action is taken by businesses, government, and individuals to prevent further damage and rebuild the natural environment, alluding to Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring, which is widely regarded as the most significant work of environmental writing of the 20th century.
The COP15 Biodiversity Conference will take place later this year, and an event held by the Green Alliance today marked the report’s release.
The G7 leaders have vowed to support the worldwide effort to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 on a global scale.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) COP 15 conference in 2022 will assess the status of previously set biodiversity targets.
Environment Agency Chief Executive Sir James Bevan said:
Together with the climate catastrophe, the biodiversity crisis poses an existential threat to our ability to survive.
However, as this paper explains, the solution is not to retreat but to band together to develop a nature-friendly response.
The necessities of life—clean water, clean air, and food—are provided by nature.
Natural solutions must play a significant role in our response to protect these necessities while restoring our natural world in light of the significant demands on land usage across England.
Due to its long history of industrialization and variations in land use over millennia, England has one of the lowest levels of biodiversity in the entire globe.
Large tracts of habitat have been lost; 99.7% of fens, 97% of grasslands with a diversity of species, 80% of lowland heathlands, up to 70% of ancient woods, and up to 85% of saltmarshes have been destroyed or degraded.
A quarter of the mammals in England and nearly a fifth of the plants in the UK are in danger of going extinct due to the significant consequences on species.
Pressures on land use have also had an effect on nature in England. The research analyzes the effects of the last 50 years of agricultural output and suggests that additional intensification and higher yields from agricultural land may be required.
Additionally, it illustrates the effects of urbanization, forestry, and the requirement for sizable land holdings for climate change mitigation.
The report outlines the need for more land to be dedicated to nature conservation to act as refuges for nature and to mitigate against climate change, such as coastal wetlands to combat flood risks.
This is necessary to address the significant declines in biodiversity that will only be accelerated by a changing climate.
Due to the high demand for land, it must, nevertheless, offer a variety of advantages to both people and the environment.
In order to restore or recreate new habitats that are home to a variety of wildlife in England, the Environment Agency must take the lead. Peat restoration at Great Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of the most recent initiatives.
It will prevent 325,000 tonnes of CO2 from being produced annually, restore habitats for threatened fenland species, and guard nearby towns, villages, and agriculture from the risk of flooding following heavy rains.
According to the paper, using such natural remedies is essential for recovering nature and reaping a variety of additional advantages.
It shows that there are potential to restore biodiversity while delivering other advantages like carbon sequestration, flood protection, clean and abundant water.
These activities include tree planting, peat restoration, species reintroductions, and natural flood control.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP 15 meeting is one venue where a sustained effort will be required from many people and organizations to address the effects of global consumption, production, and supply chains.
The report also states that action will be needed to address the levels of consumption in wealthy countries, which contribute to the loss of biodiversity.