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It's time to imagine a more resilient future for the Lake District and all its communities, a future in which wild nature and thriving biodiversity is central.

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The Lake District is an upland area in Cumbria, north-west England, stretching 64km from north to south and 53km east to west. The national park attracts 15 million visitors a year for a range of...

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Just some of the local projects regarding transport, footpath erosion and phosphate reduction.

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Climate change is nothing new in geological timescales. But in human timescales we have had a long period with a very stable climate. The planet is now warming and there are few scientists who doubt that these changes are the result of human activity. Scientists are predicting a continued rise in global temperatures leading to:

hotter, drier summers

warmer, wetter winters

more extreme weather events

Impacts of climate change on the Lake District

The Lake District is already experiencing more erratic weather patterns. Disastrous floods in 2009 and drought in 2010 are just two examples of extreme weather events. Over the years ahead we expect more significant changes. A study by Natural England identifies a range of impacts including:

Species loss: plants and animals which are at the edge of their range could become locally extinct. Examples include the mountain ringlet butterfly and the Arctic charr a cold water loving fish which has lived in Windermere since the ice age.

Migration upwards: Migrations of habitats upwards, squeezing upland landscapes into smaller areas making them more vulnerable.

Increase in non-native species: Examples include pygmy weed in wetland habitats, Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed. All are invasive plants which spread rapidly pushing out native plants and the wildlife which depend on them. Another unwelcome arrival could be Bluetongue disease in cattle which is spread by a species of midge seen for the first time in Britain in 2007. This disease would have a serious effect on farmers.

Changes to lakes: Falling lake levels in summer and poorer water quality as pollutants become more concentrated. Erosion caused by heavy rain will increase siltation. Toxic blue-green algae may become more common in lakes affecting recreational use. Midges may be more of a problem near lakes.

Changes to woodlands: Woodlands will suffer more storm damage and trees could suffer from summer drought. Woodlands will change as some species adapt better than others.

Drying out of peat: Peat locks carbon into the soil. It is estimated the peat in the UK stores around 3 billion tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of 20 years of UK carbon emissions. Figures from Moors for the Future project (opens in new window) Hot dry summers could lead to peat drying out releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Footpath erosion caused by high numbers of visitors contributes to this problem - read more on Fix the Fells (opens in new window).

Greater risk of extreme weather events: Storms, high winds, flooding, drought and forest fires could all increase. The storms of January 2005 caused the loss of many trees in the Lake District and Windermere reached its highest level for many years in July 2007.

Footpath erosion Heavy winter rainfall can have a devastating affect on footpaths - the extreme rainfall in November 2009 washed away many footpaths and footbridges.

How we are managing climate change

The Lake District National Park Authority is aiming to become a leader in managing climate change. We are working to reduce our own impact on the climate by cutting our carbon emissions. We will be working with others through action and education in partnership with other organisations - you can read more on our Climate change page.

Low Carbon Lake District

In January 2012 we launched Low Carbon Lake District and published Adapting to Climate Change in the Lake District (PDF). This looks in detail at the risks, opportunitie and actions presented by climate change.

Our recent actions

Helping create a low-carbon Lake District

Local carbon budget: this UK first measures carbon emissions from the local area. We work with partners to meet reduction targets. Managed collectively by the Lake District National Park Partnership.

Carbon in the Lake District landscape: We have mapped the carbon currently stored in the Lake District, and calculated the amounts stored in peatlands and woodlands.

GoLakes Travel Programme: A three-year programme transforming how visitors get to, and travel around, the Central and Southern Lake District.

Our planning policies: these make sure development in the National Park meets the highest energy efficiency standards and, where possible, integrates low-carbon energy generation.

Our own carbon reduction: We have met our target to reduce our own carbon emissions by 25 per cent over four years. We are now committed to a rolling programme of carbon reduction.

Learning about climate: Our learning team has developed educational resources to help learning about climate change.

Adapting to climate change in the Lake District:

We are helping locals build resilience and adapt to a changing climate. In 2012 we published an initial assessment of risks, opportunities and actions for climate change adaptation in the Lake District.
Lake District Adaptation Report - updated 2014 Lake District Adaptation Report - updated 2015
Cumbria Carbon Footprint Report (PDF): We are working with local authorities in Cumbria and with the Local Enterprise Partnership, to measure and manage emissions across the county.

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Climate change is nothing new in geological timescales. But in human timescales we have had a long period with a very stable climate. The planet is now warming and there are few scientists who doubt that these changes are the result of human activity.

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Almost £600,000 has already been allocated in the Lake District as part of a national grants programme to help local farmers and landowners adapt for the future, become more resilient and deliver bigger and better outcomes for the environment, people and place.

The three-year Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme was launched last year by the government (Defra) and is being managed locally by the Lake District National Park Authority. Lake District farmers and landowners are being offered funding for a variety of projects under the four themes: climate, nature, people and place.

The Farming in Protected Landscapes Panel has already approved 25 applications since the programme launched in June 2021, and the Authority is now preparing for applications for the second year of funding from April 2022, with further funding available through to March 2024.

The Lake District National Park Authority's Farming Officer, Andrea Meanwell, said: "The range of creative, innovative and pioneering applications we have received so far has been fantastic. There are so many great ideas out there to benefit the climate, nature, people and place in the Lake District, and our job is help local people bring them to fruition. We can't wait to see the successful projects who have already received funding progress on their journey, and we're looking forward to seeing what funding applications come in next.

"Before applying, please contact our team to informally discuss your ideas, our contact details and full details of the programme are available on lakedistrict.gov.uk/FiPL "

One successful application is Ullswater Community Interest Company, for the creation of nature corridors. Their project is working with local farmers to connect, expand and improve habitats by creating a series of wildlife corridors. As well as having this focus on nature and climate the project creates an opportunity for the community to work, as much of the work is done with volunteering, building pride in place.

West Lakes Community Interest Company received funding for a 'Farmer Led Nature Recovery' project. The money is helping them with scoping studies, in preparation for landscape-scale projects. This will include engaging with farmers and commoners, collecting data on the natural environment with carbon audits and habitat surveys, and mapping and recording these.

The Fell Pony Heritage Trust has also successfully secured funding. The Trust is dedicated to protecting the fell ponies' traditions and supporting the hill farmers that maintain these upland herds in Cumbria. This year FiPL funding has been able to contribute to the cost of the Trust employing a part time administrator to work on developing the Trust's activity to achieve its aims.

Nibthwaite Grange Farm has secured funding for the development of a new local tweed. This project aims to connect people to the history and culture of wool production in the Lake District. They are developing 13 tweeds, aligned with the 13 valleys of the Lake District, using wool sourced from each local valley. FiPL funding is helping them with the first four valley tweeds of Coniston, Windermere, Ullswater and Ennerdale. Not only does this project build on Lake District Traditions but it supports farmers, offering them a good price for wool and 10 per cent of the profit from sales.

Through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, the Lake District National Park Authority wants to continue to work with farmers, landowners, communities and businesses to balance sustainable, productive, and profitable land management choices to address and adapt, and recover from the threats facing farming, nature, climate and communities.

Nibthwaite Grange, near Ulverston, barn before work commenced.

Nibthwaite Grange: with the help of funding from the Lake District's Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, the barn was renovated into a store room for the new tweed project.

First photo, courtesy of James Rebanks, shows Maria Benjamin of Nibthwaite Grange with wool which is being made into Lake District Tweed.

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Lake District farming fund success - with more to come in 2022

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Almost £600,000 has already been allocated in the Lake District as part of a national grants programme to help local farmers and landowners adapt for the future, become more resilient and deliver bigger and better outcomes for the environment, people and place.

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Economy

We, the National Park Authority, have a duty to foster the economic and social wellbeing of local communities while delivering its purposes.

We work with farmers, landowners, local businesses and the tourist industry to enable businesses to thrive without compromising on the quality of the environment and access to the land.

The Vision for the National Park in 2030 states that:

"Businesses will locate in the National Park because they value the quality of opportunity environment and lifestyle it offers - many will draw on a strong connection to the landscape. Entrepreneurial spirit will be nurtured across all sectors and growth and traditional industries maintained to ensure a diverse economy".

Measures taken to support the economic and social wellbeing include:

Maintaining a supply of land for employment

Increasing access to high speed broadband

Providing apprenticeships for local young people

Employment

Unemployment in the national park is lower than regional and national average. In 2012-13 only one per cent of residents were claiming Jobseekers Allowance which is just over 300 people.

Levels of self employment are almost double the national rate at almost one in five of the economically active population.

Employment statistics

41,000 people live in the National Park

15,000 people work in tourism

2,500 people work in farming

Sources: Office for National Statistics and Defra Agricultural Survey, Crown Copyright.

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We, the National Park Authority, have a duty to foster the economic and social wellbeing of local communities while delivering its purposes. We work with farmers, landowners, local businesses and the tourist industry to enable businesses to thrive without compromising on the quality of the environment and access to the land.

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Discover. Explore. Inspire. England’s largest National Park, the Lake District is home to Scafell Pike - its highest mountain, Wastwater - its deepest lake and thriving communities like Keswick and Bowness-on-Windermere. Visit the official Lake District National Park website here.

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The positive and negative impacts of tourism in the Lake District.

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Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum – Come and experience Lakelands industrial heritage.