Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) is a science innovation and transformation programme run by Defra, which spans across land and water environments. It has been set up to collect data on the extent, condition and change over time of England’s ecosystems and natural capital, and the benefits to society.  click here

This will underpin the immense value of managing our natural capital, transform the way we make decisions and policy and ensure we invest in environmental reforms that achieve maximum benefit. It will give us insights on the pressures our ecosystems face, covering:

• air quality
• biodiversity
• carbon storage
• habitats
• natural flood defences
• resilience

Following a successful proof of concept year, the Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme began on 1 April. Click here

Marine projects will provide:

• a joined-up approach across Defra marine-linked policy areas
• a marine natural capital evidence baseline to guide investment and management decisions and the development of policies
• natural capital best practice guidance and a suite of analytical tools to support more effective policy making for marine decision makers at all scales
• a comprehensive monitoring programme in the open water and seabed environments of English inshore and offshore waters
• development of models and place-based tools that can integrate ecological, social and economic data sets together to test different scenarios for nature’s recovery
• innovation in evidence collection by testing the potential for earth observation, autonomous vehicles, new modelling techniques and collaboration with non-governmental organisations
• an evaluation system for the shared marine space, providing value for marine planning
• a user-friendly database for natural capital evidence
• advice in the management of UK marine environments
• new ways to combine resources, including match funding, for projects both nationally and locally

To read the policy paper click here