Automating biodiversity impact assessments with Earth observation

Biodiversity is essential for our food, water, health, and resilience to climate change. Governments in the UK and beyond now require new developments to not only protect biodiversity – but actively improve it. In the UK this means every project must, by law, deliver at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity. 

To meet these requirements, developers must calculate the biodiversity value of habitats before and after construction using Standardised Biodiversity Units. However, for large infrastructure projects – like water supply schemes or housing developments – this process is currently slow, expensive, and highly manual. 

For example, in the last regional plan by our project partners, Water Resources South East (WRSE), over 4,000 scheme options had to be assessed. Manual biodiversity evaluations were estimated to cost £1.35 million (€1.6 million) – and this process must be repeated every five years.

As part of a project funded by the European Space Agency, HR Wallingford is developing EO4Biodiversity – a web-based tool that uses Earth observation (EO) data and machine learning to automate biodiversity net gain (BNG) calculations. This innovation will help developers meet legal requirements more efficiently, while freeing up resources for better environmental outcomes.

The tool will automatically identify habitat types using satellite imagery and government-defined classifications, then calculate biodiversity values for different development scenarios. It will also include optimisation features to help planners select the most biodiversity-friendly designs.

EO4Biodiversity is being developed in collaboration with WRSE – a consortium of six water companies – and key stakeholders including the Environment Agency, Natural England, and local planning authorities. Their input ensures the tool is practical, effective, and aligned with regulatory standards.

While initially focused on the UK, EO4Biodiversity is being designed to support both UK BNG regulations and the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, making it applicable across Europe.

EO4Biodiversity is the first tool of its kind to automate biodiversity impact assessments using EO data in line with UK government standards. With no comparable solutions currently available, it fills a critical gap in environmental planning. The tool is expected to benefit a wide range of sectors – including water, energy, transport, and housing – all of which face growing pressure to meet biodiversity targets.

As governments and industries worldwide ramp up efforts to protect natural ecosystems, EO4Biodiversity offers a timely and innovative solution to one of the most urgent challenges in sustainable development.