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Challenge 8.3: How can technology help to create a nature network by 2030 across all of the different areas of Scotland?

 

Challenge summary

A Nature Network connects areas of land and freshwater that are important for nature, including protected areas and restoration projects, by enhancing and developing corridors and stepping-stones between them to allow habitats and species that rely on them to thrive. An effective Nature Network is an essential tool to reverse biodiversity declines. In Scotland Nature Networks will address local priorities for nature, ensure connectivity and restoration across landscapes, and support urban-rural connectivity. Local authorities local development plans will facilitate the creation of Nature Networks and continue to strengthen the connections between them.

This Challenge is one of the first being launched as part of the Innovate for Nature strategy, and falls under Mission 3 — Community.

 

Key information for applicants

Please note: you must apply for this Challenge via Public Contracts Scotland

Launch date
Wednesday 9 November 2022

Closing date
Midday, Wednesday 30 November

Exploration Stage interviews
Monday 12 December 2022

Exploration Stage
9 to 27 January 2023

Accelerator interviews
Tuesday 31 January 2023

Accelerator Stage
27 February to 9 June 2023

Maximum contract value
£650,000

What does this mean?

Q&A session

A live Q&A session was held with the Challenge Sponsor team on Monday 14th November 2022. A recording of the session can be viewed here:

Why does this Challenge need to be solved?

 

Well planned and implemented Nature Networks will be essential to Scotland achieving its 30x30 goal; having at least 30% of terrestrial habitats in Scotland protected for nature by the year 2030, halting the decline in biodiversity and beginning to ‘bend the curve’. The 30x30 target includes acknowledgement that protected areas to be successful in their objectives must be ‘well-connected’ and ‘integrated into the wider landscape’.  

The importance of Nature Networks is further recognised in the outcomes of the emerging Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, within which they sit, that states ‘by 2030 we need to have spatially identified Nature Networks which are widespread and embedded in land use planning and management’. 

To date a number of Nature Networks have sprung up organically across Scotland (City of Edinburgh Council, Central Scotland Green Network to name a few) however to match the pace needed for local authorities, amongst other bodies, to scale these up and create a nationwide network requires an innovative solution that will bring together and visualise the various sources of data that will then allow for consistent, easily understood and defendable decision making.  The visualisation will allow for identification of potential networks and make it easier for relevant communities, land owners and managers to work collaboratively.

As well as the environmental need the societal benefit of increased connectivity with nature is recognised. As well as the multiple ecological aspects that will be required to be taken into consideration when building a Nature Network there is therefore also a strong human aspect to be taken into consideration, ensuring equity in access to nature rich green spaces, and providing added value (e.g. active transport links or natural health services). 

Should this challenge not be solved the approach to nature networks across Scotland will continue to be fragmented. This could cause potential issues such as: 

  • Difficulty in communicating clearly what a Nature Network is, its importance and why they have been identified in the way in which they have.

  • Multiple approaches being created to identify Nature Networks between local authority areas that will present a confusing landscape for individuals and organisations that work across Local Authority areas or nationally.

  • A lack of coherence in the network across local authority areas that may prevent logical and beneficial connections within a landscape or catchment

  • Will be an inefficient use of resources

How will we know the Challenge has been solved?

 

Nature Networks, that deliver biodiversity benefits as well as social and economic benefits, will be spatially clearly defined and put into action across all of Scotland’s local authority areas. 

These benefits will be able to be easily understood, will be measurable and quantifiable and clearly demonstrate the value being derived from the Nature Network.  

Local communities will understand how those parts of a Nature Network within their reach are contributing to addressing the biodiversity crisis and also providing other key ecosystem services. Furthermore they will understand their role within the larger Nature Network. 

These Nature Networks are used and valued by both people and nature and are growing organically because of their success, with bottom-up projects able to access the resources and information they need to work collaboratively and expand Nature Networks. This could be small community groups, land developers when designing new schemes, or land managers able to make decisions that contribute towards landscape scale initiatives multiplying their impacts. Planning authorities will be able to easily identify Nature Networks and fully take into consideration how their decisions could impact upon them and their coherence.  

Who are the end users of the solution likely to be?

 

  • Local/National Park Authority planners,

  • Private developers,

  • Land managers including farm/crofters, private estates, charity owned land and public owned land (e.g. National Forest Estate),

  • Community groups interested in taking action for nature,

  • Private finance looking to invest in natural capital projects, especially those with connection to their consumer base/market

Has the Challenge Sponsor attempted to solve this problem before?

 

  • A number of attempts have been made to find a solution to the fragmented state of nature/natural habitats in Scotland. Many of these have produced plans for nature networks that are quite specific, taxonomically, in their scope.

  • Other attempts have been made that are currently limited in their geographical scope 

    • Edinburgh Nature Network has become an exemplar of what's possible but is more focused on the urban/peri-urban environment

    • Integrated Habitat Networks - did try to encapsulate different types of habitat connectivity and provide simple mapping - didn't catch-on with key decision-makers, only really used by people with a stake in it already

  • From a technological point of view others have taken on specific aspects of the challenge to creating Nature Networks  

    • nesta developing a tool to see how AI can aid communities in taking action (potentially for building, monitoring or maintaining a nature network)

Are there any interdependencies or blockers?

 

Difficulty in being able to identify land ownership from public records could make it hard for people to work collaboratively across an identified potential network but this is not an insurmountable problem.

Will a solution need to integrate with any existing systems or equipment?

 

NatureScot have their own systems storing data on protected areas and monitoring data as well as our own GIS system, if integration was necessary with any of these systems then restraints on the NatureScot’s IS team would mean API development may have to be led by the solution provider.

Is this part of an existing service?

 

No, but it is part of an initiative to establish Nature Networks across Scotland.

Any technologies or features the Challenge Sponsor wishes to explore or avoid?

 

Open to all.

What is the commercial opportunity beyond a CivTech contract?

 

  • Potentially a useful planning tool (or at least a framework) for other local authorities elsewhere in the UK

  • Forestry sector in informing locations that may (or may not) be favoured for planting different woodland types

  • Developers in planning how new development proposals could tie into, compliment and not negatively impact Nature Networks

  • Private finance/industry who are looking to offset their impacts and wish to identify suitable land for investment

Who are the stakeholders?

 

  • Locally based communities, ensuring equality diversity and inclusion.

  • Expert input from academia, eNGOs, nature agencies

  • Land owners, farmers, crofters

  • Planners, Local Authorities, developers e.g. energy and housing, regulators

Who’s in the Challenge Sponsor team?

 

  • Nature Networks project team in NatureScot (Ben Ross, Christian Christodoulou-Davies, Abi Gardner, Bob Bryson) with support from other key Activities within the organisation (e.g. staff working on planning, people and places)

  • Ruchir Shah, Scottish Wildlife Trust

What is the policy background to the Challenge?