Rethink on adapting nature is needed amidst the climate crisis
As the country finds itself in the midst of a third heatwave in as many months, there’s no getting away from the fact that climate change is having a major impact on the planet.
While a lot of the emphasis has been on slowing down climate change by speeding up the green energy transition, there has to be an acceptance that we must learn to live with extreme weather conditions.
And as such there needs to be a rethink as to how communities across Britain adapt.
That is why West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is important.
The Mayor has set out a new plan to boost the region’s resilience to heat, drought and floods.
The LNRS will seek to restore habitats for wildlife, help to cool down neighbourhoods, provide better flood control and connect people to nature to help improve health and wellbeing.
It is a timely reminder that nature doesn’t just have a role to play in the countryside. There is much that can be done in and around Yorkshire’s cities.
For example, a recent study found Bradford West to be one of the 20 constituencies with the lowest area of publicly accessible natural space in the country. A fact that this plan would seek to address.
By coupling enjoyment of nature with the resilience it affords against climate change, communities are more likely to buy-in.
The strategy has even secured the backing of national treasure Sir David Attenborough.
He said: “I hope it inspires many others to develop a strong connection with the natural world, not only through action to help wildlife but also through the arts and other activities.”
If there is one man who knows about inspiring people to develop a stronger connection to nature it is Sir David.