Thames21 issues preliminary response to government’s Water White Paper

We are currently reviewing and analysing the government’s ‘Water White Paper’ to inform our comprehensive response. In the meantime, we have conducted a preliminary scan and highlighted the key points below.

While there are positives in what the government describes as a “once-in-a-generation” reform of the UK’s water system, without meaningful investment it cannot deliver the bold, transformative change needed for our communities or the environment.

The government appears reluctant to establish genuinely independent, properly funded regional planning bodies, supported by strong local delivery, despite their importance in improving the resilience of river ecosystems.

Nonetheless, promoting the wider use of nature-based solutions, such as wetlands, is a positive step that will help support the River Thames and its tributaries, particularly in the context of the climate emergency.

Citizen scientists play a vital role in restoring areas affected by pollution and in identifying its sources, providing the evidence needed to advocate effectively for change.

However, the government’s White Paper appears to omit support for citizen scientists, which we, as an environmental charity connecting communities with their local waterways, find both concerning and disappointing.

The commitment to double current funding for catchment partnerships to strengthen local capacity is a welcome step, but it does not go far enough. Our rivers are in crisis and water quality must improve. The government must act now with the scale, ambition, and investment needed to deliver real change.

Read full government ‘Water White Paper’ here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-new-vision-for-water-white-paper