The campaign is led by Riverscapes Partnership, The Rivers Trust, National Trust, Woodland Trust and Beaver Trust.
These organisations are advocating for simple, accessible initiatives to be implemented at a local level to develop a countrywide waterway system which will support nature restoration and biodiversity improvements.
Farmers and other land managers should work on installing and maintaining habitat such as riparian woodland, wetland, and river buffers. Floodplain meadows, river wiggling and naturalisation, and support for beaver populations must also form part of the plan. Not only would this encourage rewilding at ground level, regionally and – eventually – nationally, it would lead to significantly improved climate resilience through more robust flood protection.
Making Space for Water is now reaching out to the public with an online petition, lobbying government to take the recommendation seriously and look into options for funding. You can sign your name here.
‘Rivers provide an ideal opportunity to create a nature-rich network of trees, meadows and wetlands that could connect our entire landscape,’ said Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust. ‘Doing this at scale would have a myriad of benefits by slowing flood water, cooling over-heated streams, preventing pollution and reducing greenhouse gases. Please support our campaign for Ministers to fund farmers and landowners to make space for water in the landscape, build climate resilience and restore our depleted wildlife.’
‘Our rivers are at the frontline of climate change with floods and droughts challenging us to think about how we look after rivers themselves and secure the benefits we get from them. It’s time to change our relationship with our rivers, giving them much needed space to move, adapt and help us deal with these threats. Rivers that can respond to changing rainfall and better connect to their floodplains are better for wildlife and better for people,’ said Dr Stewart Clarke, Senior National Consultant on Freshwater and Estuaries at the National Trust.
Image: Nazar Sharafutdinov / Unsplash
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