Uplandia: Systems modelling for evidence-informed peatland policy

Natural England ran five Peatland Pilots to explore barriers and opportunities to protect, restore and sustainably manage peatlands, and engage stakeholders in the development of the England Peat Strategy. Located in Dartmoor, the East Anglian fens, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Cumbria and Northumberland, and the North York Moors, the pilots explored a range of issues to help inform the strategy. Researchers from Newcastle University explored social barriers and opportunities to the implementation of the England Peat Strategy through a combination of qualitative interviews, photo survey and deliberative valuation methods and used insights from this work to construct an initial logic map of the peatland social-ecological system.