I’m writing this Director’s Message from the UK which has seen unprecedented heat and heatwaves with massive costs to infrastructure and human health, alongside escalating energy costs and looming water shortages.
But the UK has also seen government leadership on: the preparation of a discussion paper and call for evidence Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan, and the 'A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment' policy paper which sets out what we will do to improve the environment, within a generation; as well as the Levelling Up White Paper Which includes policy on urban regeneration, green space, and communities and an acknowledgment from the government that placemaking, green spaces, and the built environment will be central to this achieving this bold agenda and flags increased funding for parks, the rejuvenation of high streets, and pledges to ‘re-green’ the green belt.
In Australia the sixth national State of the Environment report is an independent and evidence-based review released by the new Federal Government after a seven-month delay. Adverse impacts on health and wellbeing, an increase in the morbidity and mortality of Australia’s wildlife and the deterioration of the ecosystems we are part of. It's devastating news for Australia.
In 2019, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency. In 2020 we released our Climate Positive Design Position Statement and in 2022 we commenced the release of our series of Climate Positive Design volumes: the Organisational Guide to Climate Positive Design, the AILA Roadmap to Delivering Climate Positive Design and the Landscape Architects Action Plan for Climate Positive Design.
We need to move past alarm about the existential threat and inaction to solutions; to tangible targets and measurable action in the context of our rapidly changing urban landscapes. Green and blue infrastructure can protect and enhance our environment; it's regenerative infrastructure that we know how to deliver, at scale, across our cities and regions. We can turn the adverse social, cultural, environmental and economic impacts into net benefits and biodiversity net gain through place-specific integrated water and land use management and planning, and cultural connection. In turn minimising the risk to green cover that we will be increasingly dependant on to mitigate the human and wildlife of exposure to urban heat.
To help address the policy vacuum AILA looks forward to working with ministers across the portfolios of environment and water, climate change and energy, treasury, health, and Indigenous Affairs on significant investment in climate mitigation and adaptation. And collaborating with all three levels of government to drive a nationwide approach to urban and regional growth and community and climate resilience. We have the technology, we know what the performance indicators are for success, now we need the political will matched with investment in nature-based solutions and regulatory change.
Claire Martin, FAILA
AILA President