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State of the Environment: East Midlands

The East Midlands is a varied region, with landscape ranging from upland moorlands to fens. This diverse environment is important for our quality of life and provides a wide range of wildlife habitats, some of which are important for rare species; but it is at risk of damage due from pressures such as water abstraction, pollution, fragmentation of habitat areas, and flooding. We need to protect our environment to prevent lasting damage and permanent change.

These web pages present information about the state of the region's environment, highlighting some of the problems that we are facing.

  • Agriculture in the East Midlands

    The East Midlands has a rich and varied agricultural landscape that makes up around 77 per cent of the region's total land use and is important to the region's economy.

  • Air quality in the East Midlands

    Good air quality is important for human health, the natural environment and quality of life. Pollutants from traffic is the main cause of air quality standard failures in the region, but traffic continues to increase

  • Climate change in the East Midlands

    The East Midlands is expected to become wetter in the winter and drier in the summer, with increased risk of extreme weather events such as storms, floods and droughts.

  • Flooding in the East Midlands

    Flooding from rivers and coastal waters is a natural process that plays an important role in shaping the natural environment, but it can have serious impacts on people and property

  • Fly-tipping in the East Midlands

    Flytipping costs tax-payers hundreds of millions of pounds each year, and can affect property prices and local businesses. It damages the environment, causes harm to humans and wildlife, and affects our quality of life.

  • Waste in the East Midlands

    We all create waste by throwing away things we no longer want. Re-use and recycling reduces the amount of waste that needs to be buried in landfill sites or incinerated, so it reduces the risk of harm to our health and our environment.

  • Water in the East Midlands

    Water is essential for a healthy environment and a healthy society. Parts of the East Midlands are among the driest in the country and we have a high population density, which means that there is a relatively small amount of available water for each perso

  • Wildlife and habitats in the East Midlands

    The natural environment is important for plants, animals and people. But we have lost many wildlife habitats and the plants and animals that live in them, and will lose many more if we do not take action to protect them.