What we think of as “water resources” includes abstraction licensing (the taking of water supplies from watercourses), and drought.

Defra and the Welsh Government have policy responsibility for water resources in England and Wales. We work closely with the Environment Agency, who manage water resources and deal with abstraction licences.

Changes in society and in households, population increase, and climate change, all place increasing pressure on water supplies – which is why water resources need to be managed effectively.

• Drought
• Abstraction licensing
• Water resources planning

Water white paper – Water for Life

The water white paper has now been published. Key reforms relating to water resources include;

• introducing a reformed water abstraction regime, as signalled in the Natural Environment White Paper earlier this year;
• removing barriers to the greater trading of abstraction licences and bulk supplies of water to make our supply system more flexible; and
• with the Environment Agency and Ofwat, providing clearer guidance to water companies on planning for the long term, and keeping demand down.

Read Water for Life

See also

• Water conservation (saving water, not wasting it)
• Climate change