Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It's about the whole range of living things, from well known trees, animals and flowering plants to lesser known flies, bugs, mosses, fungi, bacteria and even viruses. It is also about the wide range of habitats that these species live in and depend upon. Biodiversity can be found everywhere, not only in nature reserves, remote upland areas and in the sea, but also in your back garden, local park and roadside.
The urgent need to conserve biodiversity has been at the top of the UK government’s conservation agenda since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Signatory governments at this conference accepted responsibility for conserving biodiversity in their own country through the sustainable and fair use of biological resources.
Our government has produced a national framework for the protection of biodiversity - the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). At a more local level, regional BAP partnerships help to develop and deliver biodiversity targets.
Why biodiversity matters to Northumbrian Water and our customers?
The UK BAP is designed to halt any further decline in the number and variety of key habitats and species in the UK. As both a landowner and operator we are committed to conserving and enhancing biodiversity in our region. Furthermore, research carried out by us, and others, shows that our customers are also concerned about preserving their local environment.
Regionally, our work on biodiversity has been in partnership with Wildlife Trusts, Natural England, local authorities and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
How Northumbrian Water is meeting the challenge
Working in partnership with others, we have the opportunity to contribute to the achievement not only of national but also local targets for nature conservation, through the production of our own Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).
Our BAP is a working document. It describes the current status and potential threats experienced by the habitats and species that occur on our land or which may be affected by our activities. It sets out targets and a timetable for action by Northumbrian Water and its partners.