Our Roadmap to 2030This is the first report of its type for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area. It provides a detailed account of the nature across the whole region.
Purpose of this report
This State of Nature report aims to bring together a wealth of information to describe the existing distribution and type of natural environments present across the West Midlands. Understanding where our habitats are situated, and what value they offer to humans and wildlife, is important when considering how we prioritise actions to improve, restore and expand nature and where best to deliver those actions.
- Highlights the West Midlands rich natural heritage and its ongoing ecological decline.
- Emphasises the link between access to nature, health, and wellbeing – especially in areas facing social deprivation.
- Showcases opportunities for nature recovery in urban and suburban environments, including gardens and canals.
- Identifies the most nature-deprived areas to prioritise restoration efforts.
- Provides a detailed overview of existing natural habitats to inform strategic environmental planning.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the scale and intensity with which we have exploited and degraded our natural environments has far exceeded nature’s capacity to recover and thrive. The UK is now ranked as one of the world’s most nature depleted countries and unfortunately declines in our native species, and quality and diversity of our natural habitats have continued through the 20th century and into recent decades. The heart of the Industrial Revolution lies in the West Midlands region, and there is much to be proud about the rich heritage that resides here. In fact, nature finds a way to survive even in post-industrial environments and rare specialist plant species can be found on former colliery spoils, which deserve special attention.
Please contact SWM at enquiries@swm.org.uk for more information.
