Work Package 1.4: Integrated and Sustainable Management of Natural Assets
This Work package is focussed on how managing natural assets can achieve sustainable land use which is resilient to future pressures and contribute to sustainable growth of the Scottish economy, our health and well-being.Building on research on soils, water and biodiversity, we are analysing the trade-offs and synergies inherent in delivering multiple benefits and exploring sustainable trajectories. The research is designed to support policy development and reviews, through for example, providing evidence any revision of agri-environmental payments and to inform land managers’ practices. Our vision for 2021 is to provide the scientific capacity and knowledge brokerage to support Scottish Government (SG) and its agencies to achieve their outcomes, and through these, the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The research within this Work Package is highly relevant to a wide range of Scottish Government policies and strategies, in particular the Scottish Rural Development Programme, Scottish Climate Change Plan, Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme and the Land Use Strategy
We like to engage key stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds, including Scottish Government, agencies such as SNH and SEPA, environmental NGOs and land-based industries, in developing, implementing and using our research.
WP 1.4 consists of three research deliverables:
- RD 1.4.1: Natural asset inventory and accounts
- RD 1.4.2: Identifying and understanding multiple benefits and trade-offs
- RD 1.4.3: Practical interventions to realise multiple benefits and manage trade-offs
We also support the Ecosystems and Land Use Policy Engagement Group with the Biodiversity work package and the Soils Engagement Group in conjunction with the Soils work package.
Other overarching outputs associated with the work-package include:
- ESCOM Workshop Report ‘What has the concept of Natural Capital got to do with you?’, December 2016
- ESCOM Seminar Series ‘What has the concept of Ecosystem Services done for us?, October 2016
- ESCOM speed talk on Integrated and Sustainable Management of Natural Assets, April 2016
Outputs specific to each research deliverable will be found on their pages.

