CIRIA project looks to update guidance on invasive species

[THE COST AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT associated with invasive species have been increasing dramatically in recent years. According to the latest update from CIRIA – the Construction Industry Research and Information Association – the annual cost to the GB economy is at least £1.7bn, with Japanese knotweed alone estimated to account for £166m of that total. Associated with the economic impact, there is the potential for significant disruption to habitats and ecosystems, coupled with social impacts in terms of human health and nuisance.

CIRIA cites nearly 2,000 invasive non-native species (INNS) established in GB. The great majority are terrestrial (around 1,800), with around 160 established in marine and freshwater environments. The number

establishing themselves in this country is around 10-12 annually. Wellknown animal INNS include American mink, signal crayfish and the grey squirrel, alongside plant species such as Japanese knotweed.

According to CIRIA: “Those established and establishing species provide a major driver for action not just at local, regional and national scales, but also at the international level; with bodies such as the Convention on Biological Diversity acknowledging this threat and calling through one of its guiding principles for national strategies to be established.”

CIRIA is currently engaging stakeholders to secure funding support for a new project to update its Invasive species management for infrastructure managers and the construction industry (C679, 2008), building on The Great Britain Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy (2015). The guidance will be complemented by a series of briefings describing individual invasive species and detailing the relevant techniques to manage them. q