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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...

Learning from Eddleston, the Scottish Catchment pilot

Practical barriers and opportunities for Building with Nature

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Environment Agency fisheries specialists carried out a fish rescue in the Peak District yesterday, moving fish that have been stranded as the river dries up.

Officers have been out on the River Lathkill near Bakewell, rescuing brown trout. All of the fish caught were moved downstream to sections with more water.

It is an area prone to drying up when there has been little rain. Fish are moved downstream and once water levels return to normal, the fish can repopulate the area. With May being the driest since records began,...

Exceptionally low rainfall, soil moisture and river flows in May mean the UK may be on course for a significant drought this summer, just weeks after some record high flows and widespread flooding, according to experts at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

While there has been some heavy rainfall in early June, and more is expected over the next few days, scientists warn a sustained period of wet weather will be needed to reverse the very dry conditions in some parts of the UK – particularly as high temperatures...

Rivers and lakes are among our most loved ecosystems. They are hotspots of biodiversity in the landscape and support recreation and eco-tourism. Yet, sadly they are under increasing and diverse stress as a result of human activity. They are used as conduits for domestic and industrial waste, straightened and reinforced to meet water storage and supply demands, and cut off from floodplains to support food production. They are also extremely sensitive to the effects of climate change.

As a result, they are experiencing the most...

Discussion about ways to manage flood risk in an ever changing climate, with a focus on the Ullswater and River Eden valleys, but with relevance to anyone in the UK dealing with flooding within their own communities.

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Intermittent rivers and Ephemeral Streams (IRES) are river water bodies characterised by temporary flow. They are widespread across the EU and a significant proportion of them is expected to increase due to climate change scenarios and rising water demands.

The purpose of this handbook is to...

Digging ponds in the countryside can deliver "unprecedented" gains for nature, experts have said.

Freshwater Habitats Trust said 20 clean water ponds on farmland increased wetland plant species by 26%.

A nine-year project found rare plants almost trebled, while species that had gone extinct in the area returned.

The study tested a range of measures for improving freshwater habitat and wildlife in three catchment areas in Leicestershire.

The trust said it helped bring back rare species such as...

It’s widely recognised that our freshwater environment is in poor condition and getting worse. Only 16% of England’s groundwater, rivers, lakes, estuaries and seas are close to their natural state. This is impacting not only on wildlife, but also on our society and economy. The costs of floods, droughts and pollution are being passed on to those who suffer their consequences. These challenges will all be exacerbated by the inexorable march of climate change, population growth and new demands on water resources. It is not...