Peatlands: Fire Prevention
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the scientific evidence on rewetting peatland and other habitats and resilience to wildfire; and what her Department's strategy is for reducing wildfire risk in areas where rewetting is not a viable option.
Answered by Mary Creagh
As part of its delivery of the Third National Adaptation Programme, Defra has commissioned a wildfire and peatland study, which includes looking at the impact of peat restoration on building wildfire resilience into the landscape.
The Government recognises that nature-based solutions should be implemented alongside fuel and habitat management, particularly in the short and medium term. Defra is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the lead department on wildfire, to improve cross-Government coordination across the full wildfire cycle, from risk assessment and prevention through to response and recovery.
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