Driving policy change
Our rivers, streams and wetlands are part of an interconnected living system, but the way we manage our water is fragmented and ineffective.
We need to create a better system with a joined-up approach to water policy, where people and wildlife are considered in every decision so that our water environment is protected and teeming with life.
A joined-up approach will include:
- investment to upgrade aging water infrastructure so that supply pipes do not leak, and drainage systems can cope with increased volumes of water and waste
- changes to the way our landscapes and wetlands are managed so they can cope better with drought and help protect us from flooding
- properly enforcing existing legislation
- making sure the full ecological costs and environmental impacts are taken into account when making decisions about how land is used and developed
- better teamwork between the various agencies and departments with overlapping responsibilities
The Wildlife Trusts are part of Blueprint for Water, a coalition of more than 20 organisations working to restore the ecology of the UK’s rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands by seeking improvements to water policy at the national level.
This work is currently focused on environmental resilience (restoring healthy, functioning landscapes that can cope with and adapt to change), sustainable abstraction (drawing water from the landscape without causing ecological harm), water quality and agricultural pollution.