Glossary
Abbreviations:
BNG: Biodiversity Net Gain
CSO: Combined Sewer Overflow
DEFRA: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
NbSuDS: Nature-based Sustainable Drainage Systems
NPPF: National Planning Policy Framework
NWL: Normal Water Level
SuDS: Sustainable Drainage Systems
WMCA: West Midlands Combined Authority
LLFA: Lead Local Flood Authorities
Definitions:
Climate adaption: Measures that help reduce vulnerability to the current or expected impacts of climate change such as flooding, extreme heat and biodiversity loss.
Urban Heat Island: An urban area that is warmer than its surroundings due to human activities and built forms.
NbSuDS: A specific set of SuDS typologies that aim to mimic natural water processes through the use of vegetation, with a focus on achieving biodiversity and amenity benefits in addition to the traditional SuDS benefits of dealing with water quantity and quality. Ultimately, all NbSuDS are SuDS but not all SuDS are NbSuDS.
SuDS: Drainage systems that are considered to be environmentally beneficial, causing minimal or no long-term detrimental damage. Often regarded as a sequence of management practices, control structures and strategies designed to efficiently and sustainably drain surface water, while minimising pollution and managing the impact on the water quality of local water bodies.
Nature market: A mechanism for private investment in nature through the sale of units of ecosystem services, which are delivered by nature restoration projects or improvements to land or coastal management.
Voluntary nature market: A market in which buyers purchase units of an ecosystem service voluntarily, for example to meet corporate net zero targets.
Compliance nature market: A market in which buyers purchase units of an ecosystem service in order to meet regulatory requirements, for example to deliver biodiversity net gain.
Biodiversity Net Gain: BNG is an approach to development that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand.
Unit/credit: A quantified amount of an ecosystem service, for example a tonne of carbon or a defined amount of biodiversity, that can be sold in the market.
Bundling: When a suite of ecosystem services produced by the same activity (for example the biodiversity and water quality improvement provided by wetland restoration) is sold as a single combined unit in the market.