5. Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Nature, biodiversity and local places for nature

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:37 pm on 12 October 2021.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 4:37, 12 October 2021

Diolch, Heledd. Those are very important points. In terms of the mental health point, I will certainly be working with colleagues Jeremy Miles and Lynne Neagle across the Government to make sure that, as we have community-based nature recovery schemes, we ensure that people are connected back to nature. We know that the connection back to nature really does help with mental health, and, as you know, there is a scheme across Government to look at that kind of social prescribing as well to make sure that people who have lost their connection with nature can rediscover it. So, I’m more than happy to update the Senedd as we take some of those issues forward, and I’m sure my colleagues will be very happy to do so as well.

In terms of natural flood management, we're investing around £3 million over three years in natural flood management as part of the pilot programme. We estimate that the programme will help reduce flood risk to about 1,000 properties, and it also obviously provides wider benefits, like habitat creation and improvement and enhancing public amenities. The programme is currently 100 per cent funded and is providing an excellent learning scheme that will enhance our future delivery for natural flood management across Wales. We’ve currently provided funding for 15 projects, which are being delivered by 10 different risk-management authorities across Wales. They’re working in partnership with landowners and key stakeholders, such as Snowdonia National Park Authority, West Wales Rivers Trust and the Woodland Trust, to deliver those mutual benefits. Once the pilots have completed, we’ll be able to take the learning from that and engage our communities on where the next set of the projects should be, as I absolutely do take your point that the communities need to be fully engaged in the project in their area.