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Nature Based Solutions



Nature based solutions will be critical for our survival into the future. The environment around us, peatlands, woodlands, wetlands, rivers and parks enable us to survive; by storing carbon, cleaning and holding back water and giving us places that benefit our mental and physical health. The Green Party believe that we must invest in peatland restoration and woodland creation to increase carbon capture and act as a natural defence against flooding in local communities.


It is pleasing to see that Rewilding is gaining widespread acceptance and even becoming a buzzword but it is often simplified to tree-planting and there is much more to it than that. Not all tree-planting is rewilding, and it can cause more harm than good if not done properly. If elected I would promote the adoption of Natural Flood Management techniques, in our role as Lead Local Flood Authority, rather than immediately looking to put down more concrete.

The removal of hedgerows and grass verges leads to the destruction of habitat for wildlife; on the other hand, new spaces for nature and biodiversity can be found and encouraged in both town and countryside. County Council has significant control of this through its strategic planning, and the large areas it manages through its highways department.


An end to upland burning


‘Upland burning’ is burning of the vegetation that grows on top of peat to encourage new growth of heather (for grouse) or grasses (for sheep). It leads to degraded soils that do not hold water, so it runs off rapidly in heavy rain. It also leads to soil drying out in warm weather and releasing CO2.


See my ‘flooding’ post and this from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.


The River Dove and the other rivers that run through towns across Derbyshire, particularly the Derwent, originate in the uplands, where the burning occurs. Degraded peatlands lead to sudden floods, which devastate communities downstream. Current policy allows the fringe pursuit of grouse shooting to intensify the disastrous floods that endanger and ruin lives downstream. With climate change, extreme rainfall is becoming more frequent, but we are removing our first line of defence against the floods that result.

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