I went to a conference in 2017 and a man stood up and told us how to reduce the chances of flooding, drought, fire and storms – we need to look after our ‘natural capital’.
He told us that by keeping the land healthy and full of the green stuff, we could put numbers on just how good that would be for us – you and me.
He talked about the predicted £2.8bn annual flood bill for the taxpayer, which could be reduced dramatically if we kept trees in the ground and planted more. The benefit that trees in the UK provided in reducing the impacts of flooding (and how much more infrastructure, such as storage reservoirs, would be needed, and at what cost, if those trees weren’t there) had a value of £218.5m annually (Ref 1).
I was sitting next to my professional enemy and good friend Martin from Hanson Cement (he showed me his massive solar farm that year). On the other side was an economist, and he was scratching his head.
Then, like the rest of us, we had the simple maths lesson that changed everything.
Miranda Winram, from the Executive Agency of the Forestry Commission, made it really simple. She explained that we can account for the savings made by keeping and looking after nature.
She then threw up a spreadsheet showing the value of a forest – with a value for food – due to the biodiversity living within the healthy green stuff, doing its work.
With a value for carbon sequestered – because when a tree is cut down, it is no longer a sink holding carbon in the ground; it becomes a source, releasing carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to the havoc we are all trying to avoid.
She had a value for timber and a value for recreation – because when we go outside into the garden or look out at nature, we get a sense of enormous wellbeing. We know it triggers rapid, measurable changes in the human brain, nervous system and body (Ref 2).
This, along with going out for a walk, has a huge impact on the NHS, as we are more likely to stay out of the healthcare system.
You get the idea.
We invited Miranda, the Natural Capital Committee and others, and had a fantastic conference in Truro. That was amazing, as we turned a new corner – something that is now normal to many and, for some great landowners, something they have always been doing.
The following year, the 25-Year Environment Plan was born (Ref 3).
And this is why natural flood management is such a valuable and important thing.
Reference
(1) https://www.facebook.com/share/1EhXoCCe4A/?mibextid=wwXIfr
(2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6926748/
(3) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan
