Real world challenges to nature recovery
Real world challenges to nature recovery
One problem nature recovery projects face is the same problem so many place-related schemes face: money.
More specifically, having to demonstrate monetary value and potential ROI of a proposal to get a project underway. Much place-related thinking focuses almost exclusively on what profit can be extracted.
This poses a significant challenge to nature recovery. Even though the benefits of easy access to nature are widely recognised and acknowledged, the bottom line still rules.
This poses a significant challenge to nature recovery. Even though the benefits of easy access to nature are widely recognised and acknowledged, the bottom line still rules.
Another challenge is the fragmentary character of much nature-related campaigning. The sheer number of competing organisations is daunting. Nearly 4,000 UK charities come under the environmental category, for instance.
This is a good reason why Nature North’s strategic overview is so potentially valuable. Furthermore, many nature-based infrastructure projects would be more likely to require cross-organisational involvement due to their scale and potential impact.
Nature recovery requires hyper-vigilance to try and prevent stated aspirations and planned outcomes falling short.
Increasingly, developers are realising the value of nature, but they’re also mindful of the expense incorporating nature-based initiatives could incur, with plans being watered down as they progress.
However, there are also positive signs. More projects now prioritise landscaping and landscape-led development. There’s a greater recognition that you can’t simply create neighbourhoods, communities and places by building units. The spaces in between require planning and nurturing too.
