The Government has today published the Water White Paper - Water for life which describes a vision for future water management in which the water sector is resilient, in which water companies are more efficient and customer focused, and in which importantly water is valued.
Please have a look at four new pages which have been added to the RRC website featuring content on the LIFE+ RESTORE project, Designated Rivers (resource), the National River Restoration Inventory (of projects) which we manage and PRAGMO - our new monitoring guidance.
A progress report for 2008-2011 for England shows that the Environment Agency by working with regional flood defence committees, local authorities, internal drainage boards and other partners, achieved and exceeded all of the government targets with the exception of one covering intertidal habitats. To read the document click on the link.
The Environment Agency has released a list of the 10 most improved rivers – the waterways that have shrugged off their industrial past to become havens for wildlife and people. The transformation of these rivers has been achieved thanks to thousands of habitat improvement projects, tighter regulation of polluting industries and work with farmers, businesses and water companies to reduce pollution and improve water quality.
The London Assembly Environment Committee has today published a report of its investigation into flood risk in London. The report, For a Rainy Day, outlines the scale and nature of the flood risk facing London in the event of severe rainfall, and it calls on the Mayor to lead further action on communicating flood risk and reducing risk through sustainable drainage, river restoration and other actions.
The Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) sets out the Government’s vision for the future of the natural environment throughout England, placing both the economic and intrinsic value of nature at its heart. The Government’s belief in the need to protect the environment for future generations, make the economy more environmentally sustainable, and improve quality of life and well-being was set out in the Coalition Agreement.
The River Thames was selected as the winner of the prestigious International Theiss River Prize, which celebrates outstanding achievement in river management and restoration. Since April 2005, 393 habitat enhancement projects have been completed and nearly 70 km of river has been restored or enhanced. Congratulations to everyone involved. For the London Rivers Action Plan go to http://www.therrc.co.uk/lrap.php
The London Rivers Action Plan (LRAP) hosted by the RRC, has been awarded the Climate Change award winner at the recent Royal Town Planner Institute planning awards ceremony in London. The initiative was commended building on the success of existing Thames river basin management plans and green infrastructural initiatives. Special thanks go to the Project partners, Rob & Rhoda Burns of Drawing Attention and Roger Dawkins of Decent Group for their involvement.
Guide to planning monitoring developed by RRC for the Catchment Restoration Fund