The water in our environment faces pressure from people, from agriculture, from industry and from the changing climate. Significant progress has been made over the last 20 years in improving the quality of our water. Plans are now being consulted on that set out how our water and wetlands will improved over the next 20 years.
Together with liaison panels of representatives from various sectors, the Environment Agency has produced detailed draft River Basin Management Plans which propose a new way of working to improve the quality of water for all 11 river basin districts in England and Wales. These river basin district liaison panels are made up of representatives from business, planning authorities, environmental organisations, consumers, navigation, fishing and recreation bodies and central, regional and local government.
For the first six months of 2009 the Environment Agency is holding a wide-ranging consultation so that you can see exactly what’s being planned in your area to implement environmental improvements and help us to refine and improve these plans. You are invited to read and respond to the consultation at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wfd. Events are also being held across the country to invite people to give their views. This is your water environment, and your opportunity to shape it for generations to come.
The draft River Basin Management Plans describe the main issues for the river basin district and highlights some key actions proposed for dealing with them. There are annexes to the documents which give more detail on the conditions in the river basin district, the actions proposed and the mechanisms that can be used to take forward these actions.
Further Background Information from the Environment Agency:
To realise our vision of a vibrant water environment for wildlife and people, we need to embrace the more integrated, long-term approach to river basin management planning heralded by the Water Framework Directive (WFD). We believe that all the water bodies in England and Wales should be clean but also full of life and ecologically healthy. Our aim is to manage the water infrastructure, water use and emissions to land, air and water in an integrated way, with a sound understanding of the risks to the environment and public health and the requirements of business and society.
We have set out to be as ambitious as possible, while taking realistic account of the time and resources that will be needed to implement the River Basin Management Plans and secure improvements. We shouldn’t underestimate the scale of what needs to be done, particularly when we will need to work against a background of increasing costs related to the impact of climate change and a rising population.
The plans are being drawn up across Europe as part of the Water Framework Directive. They will set out what needs to be done to meet the environmental objectives in each River Basin District. Through the consultation the Environment Agency is inviting people to give their views on-line or at local meetings.
The plans set out how all those with an interest in the water environment will:
• Protect and improve the ecological health of inland and coastal waters, by managing land to prevent pollution running into rivers and lakes.
• Ensure wiser use of water .
• Create better habitats for wildlife that live in and around water.
• Progressively reduce or phase out discharges of polluting substances.
• Progressively reduce the pollution of groundwater, our future water supply.
• Help to manage the effects of floods and droughts.
We’re moving forward on many different fronts to help deliver the vision of the Water Framework Directive. The River Basin Management Plans are just one aspect of the wide-ranging work that is being done – through advice, through regulation and through our five-yearly National Environment Plans to ensure that the water industry keeps investing in environmental improvements.
At the Environment Agency it’s our responsibility to protect and improve the water environment for everyone in England and Wales. Things have steadily improved over the past 20 years, to the point where we have a reliable water supply, the cleanest beaches for decades and wildlife such as otters and salmon making a comeback in our rivers. We want to work with the water companies and others to build on these improvements and tackle the huge challenges that still remain.
We believe that creating a healthy environment is an essential element of enabling people to live and enjoy healthy lives. We want to work closely with a wide range of partners – water companies, industry, farmers and land owners, local government, the voluntary sector and port and navigation authorities – to deliver a vibrant water environment for people and wildlife. Under the WFD we are determined to develop measures for each river basin that enable us to achieve good ecological status in as many water bodies as possible by 2015, and in all water bodies where it is technically feasible by 2027 at the very latest. This will require hard work and patience – we want to ensure that our measures are ambitious and visionary but also affordable and based on sound science.
