Measures to protect wildlife, woodland and water in England and Wales differ widely in their suitability to adapt to climate change according to a new report from the Environment Agency.

"We analysed policies that covered a wide spectrum of natural resource protection issues - addressing nature conservation, water resource management, flood protection and economic and recreational use of the countryside," said EA Research Fellow Harriet Orr.

"We found that some of our natural resource policies were ill-equipped to deal with the looming threats of climate change, while others which had flexibility built into the core structure were well positioned to adapt to the challenges likely to be experienced in the coming years."

Using the River Usk Catchment in South Wales as a case study, Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones from the University of Wales, applied a range of climate and socio- economic scenarios to the six natural resource initiatives, looking ahead to 2020 and 2050.

Countryside Council for Wales' Climate Change Advisor Dr Clive Walmsley said rather than waiting for the impact of climate change, policy needed to help land managers find opportunities within adaptation practices.

"Now that we've got a general acceptance that some degree of climate change is inevitable we've got to do some horizon scanning and find opportunities," Dr Walmsley said.

"A UK level revision of common agricultural policy, needs to take these different strategies for rural land use and create an integrated land management approach, that doesn't view policies as separate and isolated.

For example, biomass production is a positive renewable energy source, but looking at the strategy from a single focus won't see that it could have the wider negative effects on habitat or biodiversity, he said.

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