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.