This report was written last year but just been published.

Key barriers to NFM are

• NFM is recognised as a complex process lacking specific guidance, policy regulation and, often, financial and perceived environmental incentive;
• Challenges of successfully engaging a wide range of stakeholders with different levels of involvement;
• Lack of clarity on maintenance requirements for NFM measures and who is ultimately responsible or liable for them;
• Access to funding in conjunction with an onerous application system.

The research found the following factors to be enablers which goes some way to addressing the barriers:

• Early and regular positive engagement with farmers and landowners;
• Using an advisor who is local, understands the landscape and has an awareness of farming business requirements;
• Appropriate accessible, project-flexible funding mechanisms with relevant guidance;
• UK policy and legislative improvement in relation to NFM.

Read the Defra report here

Also, a new briefing from the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) on nature-based solutions and their socio-economic benefits for Europe’s recovery.

This briefing provides an overview of the wide range of socio-economic benefits that nature-based solutions can achieve alongside addressing the intertwined climate change and biodiversity loss crises.

Read more here.