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£10 million for river improvements and green jobs

   

NEWS RELEASE

Ref: 147/09
Date: 29 June 2009

England’s rivers, lakes and canals and the wildlife that calls them home will get a facelift through funding for a range of projects announced today by Environment Minister Huw Irranca-Davies.

An extra £10 million is being invested over the next year in improving the quality of water around the country, which will in turn help our native wildlife, flora and fauna to flourish.  The projects will also create or sustain up to 130 ‘green’ jobs over the next year.

Currently only 21 per cent of our water bodies are assessed as being of Good Ecological Status under European requirements and the extra funding announced today, in line with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, will help to improve that.

Defra will work with the Environment Agency on a range of projects aimed at:

  • Restoring wildlife habitats in rivers;
  • Restoring and protecting wetlands;
  • Researching where river pollution comes from to help target future action
  • Improving river routes to help fish migrate;
  • Removing invasive non-native species from some sites;
  • Tracing pollution from urban sources such as chemical waste and taking action against polluters, and;
  • Helping rivers and lakes to adapt to the effects of climate change, such as protecting them from pollution from higher rainfall. 

Mr Irranca-Davies said:

“This funding will be a really welcome boost for our rivers, lakes and canals and the wildlife that needs them to thrive and I look forward to seeing the results over the next couple of years. 

I would also encourage our partners like the Association of Rivers Trusts to think creatively about how we take this work forward and maximise the impact of this new funding.  I’m delighted that these projects will create jobs for several local communities around the country.”

Dr Paul Leinster, Chief Executive at the Environment Agency, said:

“Improving the quality of rivers and lakes is a top priority for the Environment Agency. They are an important part of the environment for both people and wildlife. The extra funding will support local projects which will help bring life back to waters across England.”

The Environment Agency will work closely with the Association of Rivers Trusts who will be carrying out much of the river restoration work.  The Environment Agency has been consulting on River Basin Management Plans which will set out our future actions to help improve water quality across the country, with final proposals due later this year, and the funding announced today will help to take some of that work forward.

Notes to editors

  1. More information on the Water Framework Directive can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/wfd/
  2. The EC Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a strategic “river basin planning” approach to managing the water environment.  There are two key objectives: to prevent deterioration in water status, and to aim to achieve ‘good status’  - ‘good ecological status’, and ‘good chemical status’ by 2015 in water bodies. 
  3. Under the Directive, all Member States must draw up a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for each river basin district by 22 December 2009.  England and Wales are divided into 11 river basin districts, and the Environment Agency will draw up these plans which Defra Ministers must approve.
  4. The RBMPs will set a ‘status objective’ for each water body, e.g. to get to ‘good ecological status’ by a stated date, and summarise the measures that will be taken to achieve that. 

End

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Page published: 29 June 2009