'Drought concerns downplayed by Environment Agency despite dry April' - WWF comments

11 May 2017 09:56 AM

Dr Rose O’Neill, Water Policy Manager, WWF, commented on the 'Drought concerns downplayed by Environment Agency despite dry April' 

“Whether we face drought this summer as widely expected or not, the next Government of the UK must wake up to the reality that this is likely to become a frequent occurrence in the not too distant future unless we act now. This will be damaging for communities but also for businesses that rely on freshwater and wildlife like water vole and fish who live in our rivers.

 In 2011, the government recognised that the current system is broken and promised a reform of the abstraction regime to ensure that it protects wildlife and delivers fair and resilient water supplies. For the last six years, WWF and others have been working with government to develop new legislation - a Water Bill which was pencilled in for this year but has been abandoned due to Brexit. It's vital that the next UK Government brings forward legislation to maintain water supply and ensure the nation's rivers and wetlands are in good ecological health."