Natural Resources Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales, and also assumes some other roles formerly taken by Welsh Government.
Roles and responsibilities
Purpose
NRW’s purpose is to "pursue sustainable management of natural resources” and “apply the principles of sustainable management of natural resources” as stated in the Environment Act 2016.
Remit
NRW receives a Remit Letter at the start of each financial year setting out what the Welsh Government wants it to achieve during that year. Its main responsibilities are:
Adviser: principal adviser to Welsh Government, and adviser to industry and the wider public and voluntary sector, and communicator about issues relating to the environment and its natural resources.
Regulator of the marine, forest and waste industries, and prosecuting those who breach the regulations that NRW is responsible for.
Responder to about 9,000 reported environmental incidents a year as a Category 1 emergency responder.
Statutory consultee to about 7,000 development planning applications a year.
Manager/Operator: managing seven per cent of Wales’ land area including woodlands, National Nature Reserves, water and flood defences, and operating five visitor centres, recreation facilities, hatcheries and a laboratory.
Partner, Educator and Enabler: collaborator with the public, private and voluntary sectors, providing grant aid, and helping a wide range of people use the environment as a learning resource; acting as a catalyst for others’ work.
Evidence gatherer: monitoring the environment, commissioning and undertaking research, developing knowledge, and being a public records body.
Employer of almost 1,900 staff, as well as supporting other employment through contract work, and work experience.
Regulatory responsibilities
NRW is responsible for more than 40 different types of regulatory regime across a wide range of activities. Some examples are:
The Environment Act 2016 requires NRW to prepare and publish a State of Natural Resources Report. SoNaRR assesses the current state of natural resources in Wales and whether they’re being sustainably managed. It informs the Welsh Government’s Natural Resources Policy to set priorities for action at the national level. SoNaRR also looks at how pressures on Wales’ natural resources are resulting in risks and threats to long-term social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being as set out in the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015. NRW will produce a new report every five years.
Area Statements
The Natural Resources Policy sets the context for Area Statements produced by NRW, which will deliver the national priorities at a local level. The Area Statements will specify priorities, risks and opportunities for sustainable management of natural resources and how NRW proposes to address them.
The evidence in SoNaRR will also be used to inform the well-being assessments being prepared by Public Service Boards as part of the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015. NRW is a statutory member of each PSB. Statutory members are collectively responsible for fulfilling the PSB’s statutory duties in relation to, for example, publishing a well-being assessment, a well-being plan and preparing an annual progress report.
Well-being Statement
Natural Resources Wales' first Well-being Statement, 'Managing today’s natural resources for tomorrow’s generations' meets its obligations under the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015. It sets out its Well-being Objectives and explains how meeting the objectives will contribute to the achievement of the well-being goals within the Act.
As a justification for the merger, the Welsh Government claimed that the new body would produce savings of £158 million over ten years. Whilst the three agencies were broadly supportive of the move, the board appointed by Environment ministerJohn Griffiths did not include any representatives from the forestry sector, and Forestry Commission Wales chairman Jon Owen Jones - the former Welsh Labour MP for Cardiff Central - raised concerns that the forestry industry's voice would not be adequately heard in the new organisation.
