answer text |
<p>(a) Nature-based solutions make a positive contribution to achieving climate resilient
places particularly at a community led, river catchment scale. They can support flood
and coastal resilience, improve water supply and quality as well as contribute to
wider climate change and sustainable development objectives.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment
Agency’s £15 million Natural Flood Management (NFM) programme demonstrated the important
role nature-based projects can have in helping to slow the flow and store flood waters.
The measures in the 60 pilot projects included planting trees, creating leaky barriers,
restoring peatland and restoring salt marshes. On 8 December 2022, the Environment
Agency published an evaluation report on the NFM programme.</p><p> </p><p>Later this
year the Environment Agency will update its Working with Natural Processes Evidence
Directory. This will help share evidence and best practice about how to develop natural
flood management projects</p><p> </p><p>(b) The National Adaptation Programme (NAP)
covers priority risks identified by the Climate Change Committee including risks to
trees and woodland carbon storage. We recognise the important role urban trees play
in this, which is why we are supporting the planting of them through the Urban Tree
Challenge Fund and Local Authority Treescapes Fund. The National Planning Policy Framework
and Urban Tree Manual highlight the role of urban trees and the recently published
local Tree & Woodland Strategy Toolkit recognises their contribution to core climate
change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity goals in Government policy.</p><p>
</p><p>(c) Peatland restoration is already a Defra priority and we have ambitious
targets to restore over 35,000 hectares of peat in England by 2025 and 280,000 hectares
by 2050, as will be set out in the NAP. The England Peat Action Plan (2021) outlines
what action is needed to ensure that peatlands contribute to climate adaptation, preserving
their carbon store while also providing water storage, flood management functions
and space for nature.</p><p> </p><p>(d) The third National Adaptation Pathway will
set out how the water sector is mitigating against the risks presented by climate
change. This includes outlining where Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SuDS) represent
an adaptation measure in the event of climate events, e.g increased rainfall. The
Environment Agency maintains a national overview of SuDS, advising the Government
on policy matters. On 10 January 2023, the Government reviewed making SuDS mandatory
in new developments. The Government accepted the review’s recommendation to mandate
SuDS in England through implementing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management
Act 2010. SuDS use features such as ponds, rain gardens and grass to absorb the rain
and tanks and pipes to slow the flow to the sewer, reducing the risk of surface water
and sewer flooding. This will help limit volumes entering drainage networks which
will help ease the pressure on the sewerage system and mitigate flood risk. The Government
is now considering how best to implement, considering scope, threshold, and process
and there will be a public consultation later this year.</p><p> </p><p>(e) Nature-based
solutions play a key role in tackling climate change and managing its impacts. Restoring
our natural habitats has a myriad of potential benefits for helping communities to
adapt to climate change risks – from natural flood management to urban cooling – as
well as for helping to support the resilience of ecosystems themselves to climate
change. The third NAP will cover a suite of programmes that the Government is delivering
to support the resilient recovery of nature, as well as to maximise their adaptive
benefits, as exemplified above.</p>
|
|