National Highways is set to use artificial intelligence and
satellite mapping to help track changes in habitats and
biodiversity.
Using the new state-of-the-art mapping tool will make it easier
for National Highways to keep track of its Soft Estate ecosystems
bordering the country's 4,300 miles of motorways and major
A-roads.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, routine inspection of the Soft
Estate has provided a basic level of information. However, this
needs to be improved if the government-owned company is to
identify, manage and prioritise maintenance of the soft estate
more efficiently, ultimately boosting biodiversity.
The project, providing regular insight across the Soft Estate,
will help the company halt the decline of biodiversity across its
activities by 2025, and support informed maintenance and renewal
activities for the next Road Period (2025-20230)
In Oct 2023, the project completed its Concept Stage which
explored whether answering the question of biodiversity net gain
was possible using remote sensing and spatial analytics.
Funded through the Designated Funds Innovation and Modernisation
fund, the concept stage was conducted with the Connected Places
and Satellite Applications Catapult.
Hewlett, National Highways' Senior
Environmental Advisor, said: “We're excited to be working in this
innovative area to ensure we're improving our asset knowledge of
the Soft Estate, maximising its biodiversity, and bringing
long-lasting benefits to people, nature and wildlife. This is a
glowing example of how new technologies such as AI can help to
improve biodiversity at scale.
“This is an important building block of the work we're
undertaking to protect and enhance the ecology and the
environment across the country, with an aim of achieving no net
loss of biodiversity across all our work
areas.
“We know roads have the potential to compromise the quality of
their surrounding environments. For wildlife, roads can fragment
important habitats, putting pressure on plant and animal
populations.
“This project should help combat some of these challenges, by
improving asset insight, identifying areas where we can increase
biodiversity, putting nature at the heart of our network
operation.”
National Highways is becoming one of the country's leading
promoters and creators of natural habitats as it seeks to boost
biodiversity across the country.
As one of the biggest landowners in the UK, the government-owned
company that operates 4,300 miles of England's motorways and
major A-roads, is on course to achieve its 2020 commitment of
halting the decline of biodiversity and achieving no net loss in
biodiversity across its activities by 2025.
And, in the next five years, it will make a further move toward
becoming nature positive by delivering at least a 10 per cent net
gain in biodiversity on its Major Projects and moving towards a
no net loss position for the Soft Estate between 2025 and 2030.
The gains are being delivered through enhancements built into
National Highways' Major Projects, biodiversity sustaining
operational activities, and innovative partnerships with
conservation charities.
Coinciding with the United Nations Biodiversity Day on 22 May,
National Highways is marking Nature Week, highlighting the
nature-focused work it and its partners do around the country.
The projects include:
- Transforming the site of a former open cast mine next to a
major motorway upgrade on the M6 near Wigan into new wetlands,
grassland and areas of woodland
- creating a linear pollinator network along the M65 and the
M56 near Manchester
- creating wetlands to help clean river water near the M5 in
Birmingham
- a four-year project to introduce highland cows to the Nene
Valley SSSI near Wellingborough
- a 15 year agreement to help species rich grasslands on the
Greena Moor Nature Reserve in Cornwall thrive
- helping bat populations to thrive on historic railway
structures across the UK
Many of the projects are being delivered with help from National
Highways' Designated Funds Environment and Wellbeing fund. This
fund is helping us operate our business in an environmentally
responsible way, while making sure sustainability shapes our work
from start to finish.
Our Designated Funds initiatives are separate to our core work of
operating, maintaining and improving England's strategic road
network. They provide ring-fenced funding that we use to invest
in and support initiatives that deliver lasting benefits for road
users, the environment and communities across England.
From 2020 to 2025 – our second road period - we'll be investing
£936 million in Designated Funds. Our four funding streams for
this period are:
- Safety and congestion
- Environment and wellbeing
- Users and communities
- Innovation and modernisation
For more on National Highways' biodiversity work, visit https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/environment/biodiversity/
For more on National Highways Designated Funds, visit
https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/designated-funds/
