DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA has unveiled a new Nature Recovery Strategy on the Belfast Hills, outlining a long-term framework to revive Northern Ireland's habitats, curb biodiversity loss and protect the natural environment that underpins the economy, public health and community well-being.

Shaped by contributions from stakeholders and the public and grounded in science and evidence, the plan aligns Northern Ireland with international efforts to reverse nature decline, including the '30 by 30' ambition to effectively conserve and manage 30% of land and inland waters, and 30% of marine and coastal areas, by 2030.

Minister Muir said: "Protecting and restoring nature is not just a nice thing to do. We have a legal duty and moral obligation to future generations to protect and enhance our natural environment.

"We must put nature back at the heart of everything we do, because when nature thrives, people flourish. Nature supports the food we produce, the water we drink and the air we breathe. It is essential to a strong economy, healthier communities and a more resilient Northern Ireland.

"In an increasingly busy and challenging world every young person should be able to connect with nature and enjoy the health and well-being benefits of being close to nature.

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"With so much of our natural world lost, we must protect what remains, restore what has been damaged and create new habitats at scale. There are many inspiring examples of nature bouncing back when given half a chance."

Currently, around 9.9% of Northern Ireland's land area and approximately 38% of its marine waters are designated as protected. However, designation alone does not guarantee those places meet the target; some sites require substantial ecological improvement before they can fully contribute.

The Minister continued: "Our task is not simply to draw lines on a map. Protected areas must be properly managed and genuinely delivering for nature.

"In addition, the need for definitive legal and statutory nature restoration targets came across clearly in responses to the consultation. Given the limited time remaining in this shortened mandate, I have ensured that the Strategy includes a target to take this forward in the next mandate."

The Minister stressed that publication must be followed by sustained investment and delivery, with government, businesses, land managers, environmental organisations and communities collaborating to achieve nature recovery at scale.

Minister Muir said: "Over the lifespan of the strategy sustained funding and political support will be essential. Given the scale of funding required, a biodiversity finance plan must be developed to secure both government and private finance to achieve our nature restoration goals.

"We can take inspiration from the large-scale nature recovery projects funded through Peace Plus and Shared Island which are already underway. This level of ambition and delivery needs to be replicated across Northern Ireland.

"Whilst government has a leading role to play, partnership with businesses, land managers, environmental organisations, communities and individuals is critically important.

"We will therefore be establishing a Nature Recovery Forum as a key delivery vehicle for the strategy."

The Nature Recovery Strategy sets five strategic objectives and clear actions to drive transformation across government, business and society to protect and restore biodiversity. It brings together existing and emerging commitments from other strategies and identifies additional steps needed to accelerate nature restoration.