WWF to tackle river water shortage

Riverside Tales urges public and authorities to pay attention to critical water usage and threat to wildlife

It has recently emerged that Britain’s rivers are seriously under threat, following reports that several are showing levels dangerously below average for this time of year.

While previous years have seen rivers overflowing, now the demand for water is higher than ever, particularly with climate change and a steadily increasing population set to ensure the situation is unlikely to improve.

Raising awareness of the issue, the conservation organisation WWF-UK has launched ‘Riverside Tales’, urging attention to be paid to immediate threats to wildlife, reportedly caused by critical amounts of water being used.

The organisation’s Rose Timlett, a Freshwater Policy and Programme Officer, commented: “All the water we use is taken from the natural environment, and as water scarcity becomes a bigger issue in the UK, the framework for how we manage water resources in England and Wales must be changed. Reducing unsustainable abstraction will require strong leadership from government, water regulators, and water companies.”

Riverside Tales highlights the three catchment areas, including the Itchen in Hampshire, the upper Kennet in Wiltshire and the tributary rivers of the Upper Lee – the Mimram and the Beane in Hertfordshire. Despite a lack of funding preventing the investigation into most of these, however, there is currently only hope for the Itchen, in the form of the Environmental Agency, which, assisted by the local water company, intends to instal water meters. This is due to take place in the region over the next five years.
 
While it may be the case that existing water companies are obliged to deliver water efficiency, licensing rules are far too dated to reflect the current situation, meaning that their policies can do little to protect river water in any beneficial way.
 
Hoping for this to change, WWF is campaigning for all damaging abstraction licenses to be amended or revoked by 2020. For more information, visit: www.wwf.org.uk