Shaping the Welsh landscape

The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has signed an agreement with the University in an exciting step towards developing new applied research in Wales.

In a changing world, National Park Authorities need to not only stay abreast of changes, but also to articulate visions of rural development and to be renowned as areas where new solutions to environmental and rural issues are tried, tested and shared.

The new partnership offers real potential to foster and facilitate new collaborative research projects and provide the evidence base that is vital to the management of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Minister for Culture and Sport, John Griffiths said: "Our National Parks are a national asset and cover almost 25 per cent of our land area here in Wales. I am therefore delighted to welcome this important agreement and am excited to see how this collaboration can help maintain the landscape, and develop natural resource management within the Brecon Beacons National Park."

Professor Alan Lovell, a Member of the National Park Authority said: "The latest step along this path is the research prospectus we have launched.  It represents a clear statement of intent to form research partnerships to help us to grapple with difficult themes and issues.  We hope the information we gain from this research will lead to better decisions that achieve better outcomes for our landscapes and its communities and visitors."

Speaking about the new partnership, Professor Terry Marsden from the University's Sustainable Places Research Institute said: "The cross-cutting challenges and uncertainties of climate change, biodiversity loss and farming pressures are some of the key areas of interest to us in the University.   National Parks are ideal places to undertake research in these areas, and the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is an ideal partner for us to work with."