The atlas maps out our natural capital assets and describes the benefits that they provide for people.
Nature provides people with a wide variety of benefits, for example, clean water, clean air, protection from hazards and beautiful views. Using a natural capital lens can help us understand and explain these benefits.
Our natural capital assets (for example, woodlands, beaches and grasslands) provide ecosystem services (for example trees absorb pollutants) and from these we realise benefits (we get cleaner air). If we want to ensure that we continue to receive these benefits in future, then it is critical to understand the health of our natural environment. The National Natural Capital Atlas uses Natural England’s Natural Capital Indicators and the best available, nationally consistent, datasets to report on the health of England’s natural capital. Where possible, it shows how much, how good and where our natural assets are, and what they are doing for people.
Source: Natural England
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