We are looking for practitioners to help us shape policies to support the delivery of more widespread use of evidence-based Nature Based Solutions (NBS).
As part of a project funded by Research England, Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP), based at the University of Leeds, is conducting a survey to understand the main challenges faced by practitioners and voluntary groups to implementing NBS which could be addressed or improved by policy support at an organisational, local, national or international level.
Please complete our survey
The closing date for this survey is Monday 10 February 2025, which is confidential and anonymous, will take up to 25 minutes to complete.
NBS use lessons and features from the natural world which make the environment more resilient to extremes. For example, by slowing water flow through revegetating bare areas in the hills we might reduce flood peaks in our towns and cities downstream. However, hard engineering is often prioritised over nature based solutions for funding.
The Government’s 25 year Environment Plan requires changes in land management to deliver landscape recovery (for example, via mandatory Local Nature Recovery Strategies) biodiversity net gain, water quality benefits, and net zero commitments.
This project is focused on understanding policy barriers in England and remove them to generate economic and societal benefits through reduced flood and drought risk, improved water quality, better habitats and reduced land-based carbon emissions.
The first stage of the project is this survey which is open to anyone working or volunteering in NBS. We would welcome responses from as far afield as possible so please share it with your colleagues and relevant partners.
We will use the results in our evidence to influence improvements in policy support for NBS at national and regional levels, including a report to policy makers by the end of July 2025.
There are two main sections to the survey which cover background information about your NBS focus and understanding the key challenges that can be addressed by improved policy.
For any queries please contact iCASP Impact Translation Fellow Sam Ramsden email: S.W.Ramsden@leeds.ac.uk