Troubled Waters
Why poor water quality is threatening some of our best places for nature and how we can fifix it
A new report ‘Troubled Waters’, created by the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Rivers Trust, National Trust, Afonydd Cymru and Wales Environment Link, with a foreword by Prof. Steve Ormerod has been released today (15/9/21)
The key message of ‘Troubled Waters’ is that poor water quality is undermining our protected sites across the UK, with agriculture and waste water causing the largest pressures. The report investigates case studies from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and shows the results from market research by YouGov looking to understand how people value freshwater spaces, and perception of their condition and threats. The report makes several recommendations based on these findings:
- Legally binding targets for biodiversity and freshwater
- Systemic change to the planning approval system
- To regularly monitor the protected sites network to track progress and target action where it is most needed
- Sufficient resourcing of statutory agencies for robust monitoring of existing policy and permits
- To stop untreated sewage from reaching our rivers
- To transition to regenerative farming practises and encourage sustainable, nature friendly eating
The report can be downloaded below