The Beavers Trust say that our rivers are at breaking point, as a result of pollution, over-engineering and the destruction of habitat.  Yet you and I, the general population and animals all need healthy rivers.   These give us clean water, they help with flood protection, improving biodiversity and food security.  They also make our natural environment more resilient. 

The problem is that about 85% of the rivers and streams in the UK have been altered – and that changes the relationship between water and land.  It means our landscapes cannot cope with flooding.  And flooding affects homes and our food security.  Our rivers are polluted.  They are too warm.  Many have been stripped of their natural features.  And there’s an urgent need to put all this right. 

The campaign has been launched by the National Trust, the Woodland Trust, the Beaver Trust and the Rivers Trust as part of the Riverscapes partnership and the campaign is calling on the UK government to make #SpaceForWater by providing more funding that farmers and landowners can access, so that they can create and maintain a network of nature-rich river corridors.    River buffers, riparian woodlands, flood plain meadows and wetlands can all be part of the solutions. 

Nature – and our rivers – need us all to act.  We all need the government to act.

The petition needs 10,000 signatures to make sure that the government responds to it.

And it needs over 100,000 signatures for the government to consider debating it in Parliament.

1.        Please sign the petition

2.        You could write to your MP to tell them how important rivers are to you and how important it is that we restore them – the campaign has help here for that

3.        Share the campaign on social media and also the petition with the hashtag #SpaceForWater.   

Image at the top of the page is by Jonny Gios - a great picture, Jonny!