Rewilding in the British policy landscape. A qualitative analysis of policy documents related to rewilding

Abstract

ABSTRACT UK parliamentary research recognises rewilding as an opportunity to fulfil national habitat restoration commitments. Nevertheless, there is a current lack of analysis concerning the policy landscape in Britain. To address this gap, we employ qualitative document analysis to assess how rewilding features in national policy documents in Britain. Using a structured search strategy to identify national policy documents from Scotland, England and Wales, we carry out inductive qualitative document analysis to inform a comparative study of the three nations. We find that despite a growing level of public interest in rewilding, and a proliferation of projects, rewilding remains poorly articulated in national policies. Definitional challenges and the impact of controversial rewilding practices influence if and how rewilding terminology features. We examine how different forms of engagement with rewilding at national level reflect divergent policy visions. We consider how the current level of policy engagement may influence the future implementation of rewilding in Britain and propose potential directions for future research in this field.