Transcript Russell De`ath

Environment (Wales) Bill:
Challenges for Implementation
Russell De’ath, NRM Advisor, NRW
UKELA, 27th May 2015
Implementation challenges
1.
Interpretation
and Cultural
2. Scale and
Governance
4.
“Resilience”
3.
Timescale
Purpose of the Bill
• A modern approach to managing our natural
resources in a proactive and joined-up way
…in doing so apply the principles of SMNR and SD
(and the requirements of the WFG Act) and consider
climate change to way we use and manage natural
resources.
3
1.
Interpretation
and Cultural
“Each time we decide to draw a boundary
around an issue, we are doing so from a
particular mental model that espouses
certain values and assumptions...”
Kathia Laszlo, Saybrook University
1.
Interpretation
and Cultural
Section 4 (e)
“take account of the benefits and intrinsic
value of natural resources and ecosystems”
Benefits
£
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
“Where [NRW] are of the opinion that any area of land is of
special interest by reason of any of its flora, fauna, or
geological or physiographical features, it shall be the duty
of [NRW] to notify that fact…”
• More than 1,000 SSSIs in Wales…
Should we review all of those in light of the other
benefits that they provide?
Forestry Act 1967 (as amended)
Section 1 3(a)
NRW must:
“endeavour to achieve a reasonable balance between—
(a) the development of afforestation, the management of
forests and the production and supply of timber, and
(b) the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty
and the conservation of flora, fauna and geological or
physiographical features of special interest”
Does that mean taking land out of productive forestry
to provide other benefits?
1.
Interpretation
and Cultural
NRW: What we do
• Adviser to Government
• Statutory consultee
• Designating authority
• Environmental regulator
• Permitting and licensing authority
• Land manager and owner
• Operator
• Outdoor recreation
• Incident management
• Evidence
© Natural Resources Wales
Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Bill – Architecture
A
prosperous
Wales
WELL-BEING GOALS
A sustainable Wales
A resilient
Wales
A healthier
Wales
A more
equal Wales
A Wales of
vibrant culture
and thriving
Welsh
language
A Wales of
cohesive
communities
A globally
responsible
Wales
PROGRESS
National Indicators
Duty: Improve the economic, social and environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales by contributing to the to the achievement of all the goals
Local Well-being Plan
WHO
Public Service Organisations:
Welsh
Government
National
Museum
Arts
Council
Local Well-being Assessment
Sports
Wales
National
Library
Velindre
NHS Trust
HEFCW
Public Health National Park
Authorities
Wales
Natural
Resources
Wales
Long-term
Integration
Collaboration
Local
Authorities
Local Health
Boards
Community
Councils
Public Services Boards
Other partners
HOW
Sustainable Development
Principle
Fire & Rescue
Authority
Involvement
Prevention
TRENDS
Future Trends Report
TRANSPARENCY
Better information
Statement
EXAMINATIONS
Auditor General for Wales
SUPPORTING THE CHANGE
Future Generations
Commissioner for Wales
Annual reporting
Responding to the Commissioner
Examination
s
Long term
Advice
Review powers Recommendation
s
Monitor
Future Generations
Report
Advisory Panel
External perceptions of our role
WFG
SMNR
• Natural resources contribution to
well-being goals
• Facilitation of Area Statements
Leadership role, or the public
sector’s “conscience”?
2. Scale and
Governance
Ecosystems work at many
levels/scales...
2. Scale and
Governance
…and so do decision
makers.
2. Scale and
Governance
“There is no single solution or recipe for
effective governance of natural resources.
These will vary according to the type of resource
at stake, the location, the stakeholders involved,
as well as many other factors”
IUCN Contribution to “Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship” Governance of
Natural Resources: Reconciling Local and National Levels
National Natural Resources Policy
Learning from System Approaches, policy responses
should:
 establish the direction of the change required clearly
 set boundaries that may not be crossed by any
implementation strategy
 allocate resources, but without specifying how they must
be deployed
 specify core evaluation requirements, for example
frequency of output, but leaves the detailed design to
local agencies.
Public Service Boards…
WFG
SMNR
…only
part of the
solution
3.Timescale
Section 8 (2)
(SoNaRR)
“NRW must publish its first report before the end of four
months starting with the day this section comes into
force.”
= September 2016
What scope to use s14?
(Duty on public bodies to provide information or other assistance)
3.Timescale
Climate Change
3. Timescale
Long term thinking
Uncertainty
4. “Resilience”
Section 4
(principles of SMNR)
“(g) take account of the resilience of ecosystems…”
Also WFG Act, Section 4: The Well-being goals:
A resilient Wales: “A nation which maintains and enhances a
biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning
ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological
resilience and the capacity to adapt to change (for example
climate change”).
How do we measure resilience?
Ecosystem Resilience
Diversity
= The ability
to adapt to
pressures
Connectivity
Extent
Condition
Monitoring
Learning from System Approaches
1. Interventions should be ongoing and based upon learning
what works, rather than specifying targets to be met.
2. The priority should be to improve overall system
performance, as judged by outcomes on the ground.
3. The policy-making process would focus on the processes of
improvement, rather than the control of the agencies
involved.
4. Engagement with stakeholders would be based more upon
listening and co-researching than on telling and instructing.
From: J. Chapman, 2004 “System Failure”
Conclusions (1)
• The sustainable management of natural
resources is our shared responsibility
• NRW has a critical role to bind keys players
together
• The outputs from the bill must be owned by
everyone
Adaptive Management is Critical
Shared
Accountability
Experimental
Schemes
Revise
Legislation
Shared
Responsibility
Conclusions (2)
• The legal framework needs to allow flexibility
in its implementation
• National policy needs to set clear direction
• There is an ongoing need to continue to unpick
the legislative barriers
Diolch
Thank you