The Interim Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales (IEPAW) is calling on the Welsh Government to take urgent action to ensure Natural Resources Wales (NRW) monitors the condition of all protected sites in Wales by 2030.
IEPAW is an independent body that reviews how environmental law works in Wales and advises ministers on how to improve it. Its latest report published today [15 January 2026], Protected Sites in Wales, warns that Wales cannot meet its biodiversity and climate goals - including those set out in the Environment (Wales) Bill, the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 - without immediate steps to strengthen how protected sites are monitored, managed and safeguarded.
Protected sites are areas designated in law because they contain wildlife, habitats or geological features of national importance. The most common type in Wales is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which identifies places with rare species, important habitats or unique natural features.
The report findings highlight several significant concerns. There was a 17-year gap between full assessments of protected sites, with the most recent comprehensive review taking place in 2020 following the previous one in 2003. Around half of all SSSI features were recorded as being in “unknown” condition because there was not enough evidence to assess them.
Of the features that were assessed, only 20 percent were found to be in favourable condition, while 30 percent were in unfavourable condition and 50 percent were not in a desired state. In addition, 97 percent of SSSIs were designated before updated guidelines were introduced in 2013, meaning the protected site network was never designed as a coherent system to support long-term nature recovery.
Professor Lynda Warren, Interim Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales, said:
“We know that many of these sites are not in good condition and there are many others where there are insufficient data to be able to assess their condition. This is clearly not an acceptable state of affairs.
“We believe that considerable thought needs to be given to defining targets that will drive action towards meeting the overall aim of a network of protected sites in favourable condition.”
The investigation drew on evidence from conservation bodies, environmental NGOs, farming groups, planning specialists and NRW. It concluded that while the legal framework for SSSIs has limitations, the most urgent need is investment in proper monitoring, targeted management and effective enforcement.
The report makes 19 recommendations in total. Five key themes are set out below:
- Make monitoring of protected sites a statutory duty for NRW, with funding to ensure every site is assessed at least once every six years and results are reported annually.
- Set a national target to determine the condition of all SSSIs by 2030, creating a complete and reliable baseline for nature recovery.
- Publish a strategic, costed action plan to bring SSSIs into favourable condition, aligned with the upcoming Environment Bill.
- Extend civil sanctions so NRW can require restoration of environmental damage without needing a prosecution.
- Expand and properly resource Land Management Agreements to support long-term conservation across both SSSI land and surrounding areas.
Professor Warren said resourcing is now the essential challenge:
“The single most important requirement is not for a change in the law relating to protected areas but a much greater willingness to devote sufficient resources to provide for effective management of sites now and for ongoing monitoring.”
IEPAW warns that without immediate action, Wales risks falling short of its statutory biodiversity targets and its wider commitments to nature recovery and climate resilience.
This report is the second in as many months discussing the state of the UK’s protected Sites. The OEP recently released their report on Protected Sites in England, which highlights similar challenges faced in Wales. Its report concluded that England's protected site laws are not being implemented effectively, or at the pace and scale needed to meet the intended outcomes. This was due to four root causes: insufficient action from government to drive progress; insufficient investment to achieve outcomes; a lack of incentives and engagement for owners and occupiers of protected sites; and gaps in evidence to inform and underpin decision-making.
This has not always been the case. The OEP's report notes that positive progress has been made during periods of effective leadership. However, that focus has not been sustained and implementation has too often fallen short. The report makes recommendations to guide and support the government and other public authorities in England towards better law and better implementation.
The OEP reached similar conclusions in its earlier report on Protected Sites in Northern Ireland.
IEPAW’s recommendations build on Wales’s existing environmental commitments and reinforce the direction already set by national policy. They align with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, Net Zero Wales and the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales, and they present a timely opportunity for the Welsh Government to strengthen the protection, monitoring and management of protected sites through the forthcoming Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026.
Office for Environmental Protection reports
Review of implementation of laws for terrestrial and freshwater protected sites in England