Nature Based Solutions & Biodiversity Sub-Group

What is biodiversity?

“Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.” - WWF.

What are nature based solutions?

“Nature based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature.” IUCN.

A rise in global average temperature of around 1.2oc has led to extended dry periods, unseasonably warm weather events and heavy rainfall. This along with changes to land use have a considerable impact on nature, including important local features such as the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the internationally important estuaries of The Wash and The Humber. The nature based solutions and biodiversity subgroup work to promote actions which enhance the natural environment, in a way which improves its own resilience as well as improving its ability to mitigate for and adapts to the challenges of climate change. This includes working in partnership across sectors to ensure nature-based solutions are undertaken at a landscape-scale and take a strategic approach. It also means promoting an awareness of the wider environmental benefits of such enhancement for biodiversity, people and the economy to encourage engagement.

The Nature Based Solutions and Biodiversity subgroup is made up or representatives from across sectors including Councils, land managers, conservation charities, Lincoln University and environmental and climate consultancies.

There are many initiatives out there already, creating habitat and planting trees to offset emissions, one of the group’s key priorities is to support people and organisations to create the right habitat and plant the right tree in the right place.