Two possible networks of MPAs were presented to delegates negotiating the first every high seas conservation treaty at the UN last week. The maps, generated using biological and oceanographic data and the Marxan programme, showed potential reserves covering 30% or 50% of the high seas. The options presented were those the researchers thought offered the […]

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Wet wipes are reshaping the banks of the Thames to create a “Frankenstein foreshore” warn campaigners. New survey data published by volunteer group Thames21 found that in Barnes, West London, a ‘Great Wet Wipe Reef’ has swelled to 50 metres wide, 17 metres long and a metre high – almost a metre larger than a year […]

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New research from the Monterey Bay Aquarium finds that historical tortoiseshell trade routes may have established the groundwork for modern illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The study published in the journal Science Advances, “The historical development of complex global trafficking networks for marine wildlife,” analyses 150 years of tortoiseshell trade records and derives several realistic […]

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Following Michael Gove’s recent appearance before the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee, it seems Defra is to assess its arms-length agencies after Brexit in a move that could see the Environment Agency merged with Natural England. Environment secretary Michael Gove said that Defra’s director general for strategy delivery Shaun Gallagher would lead the review. […]

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Ofwat has announced funding for a water Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID). “This team will ensure a smooth regulatory path for strategic water transfers and joint infrastructure projects. RAPID will bring together staff from Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and Drinking Water Inspectorate into a new team. It will follow a range of projects […]

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A new report from the World Bank and the World Resources Institute looks at integrating green and grey infrastructure for water security and climate resilience. The report showcases case studies and illustrates how emerging technology can make green infrastructure cheaper and easier to design and assess. It finds that integrating green and grey infrastructure can […]

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Climate change could make insurance too expensive! Insurers are warning that their products could become unaffordable for ordinary people, as the world’s biggest reinsurance firm puts the blame for the £18bn bill it faces from the California wildfires firmly on global warming. Munich Re’s chief climatologist (yes, they do employ one of them) told the […]

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