Maploom has worked alongside Wild New Forest to deliver a climate change risks and opportunities assessment for the New Forest National Park Authority, helping to identify how climate change may affect the National Park’s internationally important habitats, wildlife and landscapes.
The assessment, undertaken as part of the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) project, brings together climate projections, scientific literature, local ecological knowledge and geospatial analysis to examine the potential impacts of changing temperatures, rainfall patterns, sea-level rise and extreme weather.
A key finding is that 37% of the National Park is assessed as being at high or very high risk of habitat loss or damage due to climate change. Particularly vulnerable habitats include freshwater wetlands, coastal and estuarine environments, ancient pasture woodlands, valley mires and heathlands.
Maploom led the mapping and spatial analysis, bringing together environmental datasets to map habitats and other important features across the National Park. The analysis combined assessments of habitat sensitivity and capacity to adapt to climate change, producing spatial risk maps that help identify where habitats may be most vulnerable.
The Maploom platform also provided an interactive mapping environment for exploring the underlying environmental information and assessment results.
The report identifies opportunities to improve the resilience of the New Forest through habitat management, restoration, monitoring and collaborative action. The findings provide an evidence base to help land managers, conservation organisations and decision-makers plan for the challenges of a changing climate.
The work demonstrates how geospatial analysis, combined with ecological expertise and local knowledge, can support practical approaches to climate change adaptation and nature conservation.
Further information
New Forest National Park Authority – Climate Change Risks
Climate Change Risks and Opportunities Assessment – Full Report
The assessment was commissioned by the New Forest National Park Authority through the YouCAN project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.