Place-sensitive understandings of nature recovery

Nature recovery, defined as ‘the activity of helping life on Earth to thrive by repairing human relationships with the rest of the natural world’, is increasingly recognised by governments, the private sector and publics as an essential investment into our future as a healthy and resilient society.[1],[2] From pollinating species and productive soils to green spaces and natural flood defences, nature plays a key role in the health of society and the economy.[3]

However, the UK has become one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.[4] As land use evolves to meet the demands for housing, renewable energy, food and digital infrastructure, interdisciplinary research will be pertinent in shaping and informing policy decisions in this space.

The Academy’s Sustainable Futures policy work provides a better understanding of the complex drivers of human and social relationships with the environment and the implications for policy and practice. Our activities in this area have focused on the relationships between people and places, the implications of and opportunities from multi-level governance, and the importance of collaborative leadership. Putting people and places centre-stage can lead directly to and help navigate overlapping policy issues with regard to fairness and justice in policy outcomes.

As part of ongoing work, the British Academy commissioned a series of discussion papers on ‘place-sensitive understandings of nature recovery in the UK’. Researchers were invited to respond to an open call with proposals that analysed current policies and practices of nature recovery, reflected on framings and normative understandings of nature recovery, and explored the links between people and nature.