Biodiversity plan

Wales’ natural environment is a source of wonder and inspiration and renowned for its landscapes, seascapes and its iconic wildlife. But despite decades of good work, many of our habitats and species continue to decline.

Vital nature is our Strategic Steer for Biodiversity to 2022. It is a statement of our priorities, our direction of travel and ways of working.

Everyone’s wellbeing - economic, social, cultural and environmental - depends on healthy and resilient ecosystems, which in turn depend on biodiversity.

Biodiversity and ecosystem resilience have a vital role in the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR). Vital nature establishes a high-level framework for actions for biodiversity in line with the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales. Through a series of goals and high-level commitments it shows how, working with others, we will deliver the biodiversity and ecosystem resilience duties.

Our goals: 

• Everyone values the species and habitats, landscapes and seascapes of Wales and has opportunities for access to nature. There is wide appreciation and understanding of the value of the natural world and its importance for people’s well-being and for the economy, helping to align the choices that we make with the capacity of ecosystems to support us
• Our duty to maintain and enhance biodiversity and build ecosystem resilience is fully embedded in all areas of NRW’s work: we learn from others and share practices that inspire and enable Government, public authorities and businesses to do the same
• Protected sites on land and sea in Wales are an integrated network, ecologically connected with the wider landscape and seascape, resilient to climate change, and where a dynamic approach to site designation and management enables habitats and species to thrive and expand, providing ecosystem services well beyond the site boundaries. Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and building ecosystem resilience are a routine requirement of new development and the regulation and management of natural resource use across all sectors in Wales
• To have a robust and open evidence base that allows our own teams and organisations of any size to put SMNR into practice, including the ability to measure, understand and communicate the causes of environmental change and the opportunities to improve biodiversity, build ecosystem resilience and maintain and enhance the benefits they provide
• NRW staff have the knowledge, skills, commitment and support to deliver our goals for biodiversity and ecosystem resilience and we excel at inspiring and enabling landowners, business leaders and community groups to do the same. Our specialist expertise is valued, shared and grown with a like minded community of leading practitioners around the world