A resilient ecosystem is one that can resist, recover or adapt to change while continuing to support people and nature. However, resilience is tricky to measure. That’s where spatial data, ecological insight, and Earth observation step in. Learn how we’ve identified and mapped ecological networks in action to support resilience in Gwent, south east Wales.

Context

Gwent, a preserved county in South East Wales, is home to over half a million people making it one of the most populated regions in Wales. The landscape is varied, comprising rural countryside areas (deep valleys, plateau uplands and lowlands) as well as heavily urbanised centres (Figure 1).

The Gwent Green Grid Partnership (GGGP) is a collaboration of the five local authorities of Gwent, working with Natural Resources Wales and other partners and stakeholders. It aims to improve green infrastructure in the area and increase the resilience of the environment for the benefit of wildlife and people. Environment Systems and the GGP collaborated to translate Wales’ Resilient Ecological Network policy into practical local action. By integrating ecological expertise with cutting-edge data science, the team created tools to map and enhance resilience in Gwent’s landscapes.

What we did

Working closely with local authorities and NRW, we developed high-resolution habitat and ecological network maps. Through collaborative workshops and stakeholder input, we built a publicly available web mapper that makes ecological data accessible and supports real-world planning.

Results

The mapper is now actively supporting conservation action across Gwent—guiding habitat restoration, informing strategic decisions, and helping secure funding. It’s fostering stronger collaboration between stakeholders and empowering local communities to engage in nature recovery.

Learn more in our article published in CIEEM’s quarterly membership journal, In Practice, here.