CIWEM's Natural Capital Network (NCN) will support professionals
working to protect the resources, sinks and services that are
provided by the natural environment.
The function of the NCN is to provide expert views for the
Institution and to be a sounding board for current and new
initiatives.
Vision
- Increased awareness, engagement and understanding of the
concept of 'natural capital', defined as 'the resources, sinks and
services which are provided by the natural environment'.
- Effective adoption and implementation of the 'ecosystem
services approach'.
- Long-term global sustainable management of natural capital for
its own sake and for the physical and cultural benefit of
humanity
Mission
- Raise awareness and understanding of natural capital and the
Ecosystem Services Approach through engagement amongst:
(a) environmental professionals (in particular NCN members; CIWEM
groups, Panels and Networks; and CIWEM members in
general
(b) policy-makers and those who seek to influence policy (in
particular All-Party Parliamentary Groups, politicians, civil and
public servants, NGOs, trade and professional associations)
(c) businesses (in particular through think tanks and cross-sector
groups such as the Aldersgate Group and Knowledge Transfer
Networks)
(d) wider society nationally, in the EU, and globally
- Promote the effective adoption and implementation of the
'Ecosystem Services Approach':
(a) by policy-makers nationally, in the EU, and globally
(b) by environmental professionals in their day-to-day
work
(c) by businesses in their decision-making and actions
- Seek to complement, rather than duplicate, what other
organisations and initiatives are doing in this field by
highlighting those areas where CIWEM has particular experience and
expertise, because it is:
(a) able to reach an international membership
(b) one of the global leading professional bodies in relation to
the water environment
(c) able to draw on expertise from professionals from a very wide
diversity of disciplines, roles, and organisations across the
public, private and voluntary sectors
Scope
- The fundamental natural resources of water, land and air
- Biodiversity - the variety of life - in all its forms across
the globe
- Geodiversity - the variety of earth materials, forms and
processes across the globe
- Ecosystem services of all types - provisioning, regulating,
cultural and supporting
- Human interactions with the environment, both avoiding and
managing negative impacts, and enhancing and managing positive
benefits, in relation to natural capital and ecosystem
services
Activities
In support of the vision and mission set out above, and within
its defined scope, the Network, led by the Steering Group, will
seek to:
- Develop events to share knowledge and expertise (e.g.
conferences and seminars, alone and/or in collaboration with
others)
- Influence policy (e.g. through CIWEM PPSs, engaging with
policy-makers, think tanks, cross-sector groups etc)
- Influence practice (e.g. by collating and promoting practical
guidelines in the form of case studies and handbooks for
environmental professionals and businesses)
- Influence training for environmental professionals (e.g.
through CIWEM-accredited courses and other interventions in the
education sector)
- Influence research (e.g. by raising issues through events and
in publications, and through responses to consultations on research
priorities)
- Raise the profile of natural capital and the ecosystem services
approach through CIWEM communication media (WEM, the Journals,
e-News, Twitter, etc)
- Champion natural capital and sustainability issues
Measures of success
- CIWEM is able to run a successful national conference on
natural capital/ecosystem services
- All CIWEM Groups, Panels, Networks and Regions are explicitly
'talking the language' of natural capital and ecosystem services,
and embedding this thinking and awareness in their work (e.g. in
events, publications, consultation responses, etc)
- The Aldersgate Group and All-Party Parliamentary Biodiversity
Group both produce influential policy statements which promote
natural capital and the ecosystems services approach in the policy
community
- CIWEM is recognised as a source of authoritative advice
on natural capital and ecosystems services by policy-makers
nationally, in the EU, and globally
- CIWEM is recognised as a source of authoritative comment on
natural capital and ecosystems services by the Press and
Media.
- All CIWEM-accredited training courses include significant
coverage of natural capital and ecosystems services approach in
their curricula
- CIWEM members in other countries are actively engaged in the
Network and feeding in ideas to CIWEM (and the Steering Group) on
it
- The membership profile of CIWEM shows significant growth in
CEnv members involved in dealing with natural capital and
ecosystems services
- CIWEM has an active Panel of professional reviewers able to
provide effective oversight of applications from new members for
CEnv and Fellowship status
This work is driven by the steering group, details of which can
be found below.
Seeking Members
The NCN is a virtual global network, operating mainly by email
and other social networks, but there is a Steering Group of 15 who
meet at least 2 times a year and help direct the work of the Group
as a whole.
If you have any of the above elements as part of your post, are
interested in Natural Capital, or require further information on
joining the network please contact Joanna Rowe.
Membership of the network is not a major commitment - it is a
good way to keep in touch with CIWEM's work (there will be regular
email updates) on natural capital issues and to pass on your
views.
The NCN will produce a number of outputs including events,
consultation responses, policy statements, technical advice,
representation and publications.
We are currently looking for an economist to join our
steering group, if you are interested please get in
touch!
Steering Group
The steering group meets several times a year to direct the
networks outputs, this is chaired by Nikki Wood from Environmental
Gain Ltd, click on the names below for steering group profiles.
Nikki Wood (Chair)
Nikki Wood is an environmental professional with a specialism in
aquatic ecosystems. She has over 20 years experience working on the
implementation of environmental laws and policies, on assessing the
impacts of major infrastructure and redevelopment proposals, and
engaging stakeholders through participatory processes in strategic
and project-related decision-making. Nikki is the founding Director
of Engain which provides strategic environmental advice both in the
UK and to governments overseas. Her particular specialism is in the
application of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and
environmental risk management.
Richard Arnold
Richard Arnold is Technical Director for Thomson Ecology. He is
a highly experienced professional ecologist with an in-depth
understanding of wildlife legislation and planning policy. His work
has included biodiversity strategy and policy development, ecology
training and ecological impact assessments for major infrastructure
projects. He now provides clients with high level technical advice
in relation to biodiversity and oversees Thomson Ecology's large
team of ecologists.
Mark Everard
Dr Mark Everard has worked in a wide range of roles in
international development, academia, the private sector, NGOs
and the pubic sector (the Environment Agency and supporting
Defra and the Welsh Government) specialising in systems thinking
and sustainable development and their application into policy and
practice. Many of Mark's ten published
books, nearly sixty scientific papers and hundred of
technical articles relate to ecosystem services. He is also a
regular contributor to TV and radio.
Alan Feest
Alan Feest is a Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of
Advanced Studies at the University of Bristol. Dr Feest's
special research topic is currently the measurement of biodiversity
although in the past he has been a pioneer in microbial ecology
studies. He is a member of the IPCC, advisor to the EU on
Biodiversity, professional ecologist, research reviewer for four
national governments, on the editorial board of three journals and
a non-executive director of an environmental consultancy.
David Haley
Ecological artist, David Haley, believes our ability to survive
Climate Change is the enactment of a complex evolutionary
narrative. As the dance of creation and destruction, also, demand
new opportunities and meanings for the other side of collapse, his
inquiries into the nature of water, whole systems ecology and
integral critical futures thinking inform his arts practice,
academic research, education and community developments. As
Senior Research Fellow in MIRIAD at Manchester Metropolitan
University, Haley is Director of the Ecology In Practice research
group, and leads the award winning MA Art As Environment
programme.
Joanne Harvatt
Joanne is an Environmental Social Scientist who leads the
research programme for Enventure Consulting. She specializes
in understanding the drivers behind the public and stakeholders
behavioural responses to flooding, sea-level rise, energy
conservation, waste and climate change. Since completing her
PhD in 2007, on public responses to environmental risks, Joanne has
led on public engagement, research and communication activities
working both client and agency side. Joanne is passionate
about the projects she works on and she takes a holistic science
based approach to encouraging behavioural change. Joanne is
an Associate of the Market Research Society and has undertaken
extensive professional training in workshop facilitation and
stakeholder engagement.
Simon Howarth
Simon Howarth is a Technical Director at Mott MacDonald who
lives and works in Cambridge UK. He has worked for many years on a
range of water resources projects in South and East
Asia, notably in Nepal and China where he has been resident
for long periods. He has a strong interest in community
participation in water resources management, in developing
effective relationships between communities and
government, and in the role of these in protecting livelihoods
and reducing local conflict.
Bruce Lascelles
Dr Bruce Lascelles is an experienced soil and environmental
scientist and Business Director for Ecology at Hyder Consulting
Ltd. He has over 20 years research and consultancy
experience, specialising in soil and hydrological assessments in
relation to both habitats and agricultural land. He has
developed significant expertise in habitat creation, restoration
and translocation and in the design of appropriate soil handling
methodologies. He also has an interest in river geomorphology and
has recently worked on projects developing long-term restoration
visions for river SSSIs. Bruce is currently Chair of the Institute
of Professional Soil Scientists and on the Board of Trustees for
the British Society of Soil Science.
Dr. Richard Pagett
Richard has a BSc and PhD in the natural sciences, with an
emphasis on the marine and coastal environment. His work has
encompassed a wide range of ecosystems including wetlands, fjords,
mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs, and down to the abyssal plains
(including some deep ocean work in the Bermuda Triangle). He
has worked in more than 100 countries, from the Arctic to the
tropics, as an advisor on sustainability issues and, more recently,
on climate change having first published on this in 1990.
Tim Pickering
Tim Pickering is a technical specialist with the Environment
Agency. He is based in the Midlands and has worked for the
Agency and its predecessors for over 20 years. Originally trained
as an aquatic ecologist he has developed his professional interests
to include river restoration and the use of environmental
partnership in the delivery of strategic environmental
planning.
Jane Poole
Jane Poole is a Chartered Geologist and Associate Director
within the Geo-Environment team at Capita Symonds. Jane
manages multi-disciplinary teams in completing policy-oriented
research for government departments, particularly in relation to
minerals, geodiversity and landscape. She also provides
specialist geological and geomorphological expertise to a range of
projects for local planning authorities, mineral operators, major
developers and others.
Toby Roxburgh
Toby is a marine policy and governance specialist with 15 years
experience. Much of his work focuses on integrating natural capital
/ ecosystem services into policy, management and development
decision-making (government and corporate). He recently led the
development of a guide to implementing the ecosystem approach in
the Celtic Sea and other European marine regions. He has experience
in strategic policy-oriented research and advocacy (e.g. related to
several EU directives, the UK Marine Act, marine planning,
protected areas, fisheries and corporate sustainability). Sectoral
experience includes oil & gas, ports, shipping, marine
renewables, tourism, fisheries, water resources, rural development
and conservation. He has directed, managed and provided technical /
advisory input to projects in Europe, Africa, Caribbean, Asia,
Americas and the Pacific. Toby has an MSc in Applied Marine Science
from Plymouth University.
Previous contributors have included Alan Woods, John Box, Nick
Godfrey, and Danielle Smith.
From microbes to mountains - understand the role of ecosystem
services in environmental management
The terms 'ecosystem services' and 'natural capital' are
increasingly used across the environment sector and within policy
circles. They provide the 'goods' on which our economic, social,
mental and cultural wellbeing are built, forming a core part of our
heritage. However, due to their complexity and relatively recent
conception, understanding of their definitions and purpose remains
weak. CIWEM will publish a number of documents on ecosystem
services during 2012. This initial document seeks to inform
environmental professionals through summarising the wealth of
information available into one easily digestible document.
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Policy Position Statements
