Biodiversity loss and nature recovery
Meeting legally binding targets for reversing biodiversity loss would require a range of challenges to be addressed but would also provide societal benefits.
In some parts of the UK, high levels of water abstraction are reducing the quantity and quality of surface water (rivers, lakes) and groundwater (water accumulated in spaces in soil and rocks). This POSTnote sets out the challenge of balancing competing requirements for freshwater, and summarises proposed reforms to the abstraction system in England and Wales and their implications
Reform of Freshwater Abstraction (352 KB , PDF)
Water is abstracted (withdrawn) from either freshwater (surface water and groundwater) or tidal water for a range of uses. While water issues exist many parts of the UK, this POSTnote focuses on proposed abstraction reforms in England and Wales. Total freshwater abstraction has declined by 15% since 2000, mainly because of a decline in water usage for electricity generation. However, demand is expected to rise by 9% over the next 30 years, largely because of forecast population growth of 6.6-16 million in England and Wales in areas already classified as ‘water stressed’. In addition, even currently water-rich areas such as the west of the UK are likely to experience supply-demand deficits by 2050 because of climate change.
Key points in this POSTnote include:
Acknowledgements
POSTnotes are based on literature reviews and interviews with a range of stakeholders and are externally peer reviewed. POST would like to thank interviewees and peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time during the preparation of this briefing, including:
Mike Acreman, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology*
Iain Brown, York University/SEI*
Christina Cook, University of British Columbia*
Rob Cunningham, RSPB*
Lord Deben, Climate Change Committee
Gareth Edwards, University of East Anglia*
Dustin Garrick, University of Oxford*
Helen Gavin, Atkins*
Jim Hall, University of Oxford*
Paul Hammett, NFU*
Peter Hetherington, Ofwat*
Doug Hunt, Atkins
Peter Huxtable, British Aggregates
Daniel Johns, CCC Adaptation Sub-Committee*
Henry Leveson-Gower, Defra*
Sarah Mukherjee, Water UK
Rose O’Neill, WWF*
Ian Pemberton, Ofwat*
*Denotes people who acted as external reviewers of the briefing.
Reform of Freshwater Abstraction (352 KB , PDF)
Meeting legally binding targets for reversing biodiversity loss would require a range of challenges to be addressed but would also provide societal benefits.
This POSTnote outlines the mandatory biodiversity net gain policy introduced in England in 2024 and the risks and challenges for delivering its objectives.
This POSTnote outlines the benefits and challenges of using enhanced rock weathering as a GGR approach for addressing emissions from UK hard-to-abate sectors.