JNCC, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and Northern Ireland Environment Agency, have today published A Joint Statement on Improving the Approach to Protected Areas in the UK.
Protected Areas are a key conservation tool in halting and reversing the decline in nature in a rapidly changing climate, by helping to conserve and restore valuable and vulnerable species, habitats, and geological and geomorphological features.
The nature conservation agencies across the UK have, for a number of decades, recognised the role that Protected Areas play, and have been working together and with many other organisations to protect the best areas for nature. However, challenges remain around the extent of protection, how effectively they are managed, and the overall effectiveness of the Protected Areas network.
In response to these challenges, JNCC, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and Northern Ireland Environment Agency are putting substantial effort into considering how to address them, recognising the commitment to protect 30% of our land, freshwater and sea by 2030 (30 by 30) and the need to ensure that the Protected Areas approach is as effective as possible to help address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Whilst the different nations of the UK tailor their approaches to meet their own priorities, they are working together to share their thinking and take joint action where most impactful, as outlined in the Joint Statement.
A Joint Statement on Improving the Approach to Protected Areas in the UK summarises the direction that all nations of the UK wish to take in this area and sets out seven high-level principles.
The principles state that the UK approach to protected areas should be:
- Forward looking and adaptable;
- Ecologically effective;
- Evidence-based;
- Valued and resourced;
- Developed collaboratively;
- Integrated across policy areas;
- Globally responsible.
For more information and details on the shared principles, please take a look at the Joint Statement.
