Environment Agency

The first major report on water resources in England, published by the Environment Agency states that climate change and demand from a growing population are the biggest pressures on the availability of water. Without action to increase supply, reduce demand and cut down on wastage, many areas in England could see significant supply deficits by 2050 – particularly in the south east.

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The British Hydrological Society, JBA Trust and Environment Agency are delighted to announce that the MSc Studentship Award Scheme will be open for applications again in 2017.  Now in its seventh year, the award scheme supports talented students wishing to pursue development of their academic experience and qualifications in hydrology and catchment management.  Graduates of MSc courses play a vital part in the future management of the water environment. 

New Environment Agency guidance explains how to assess the risk of an activity and decide whether it supports the objectives of your local River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) or meets sustainability criteria. 

Defra has produced two reports in order to set out a roadmap working towards long-term resilience in the water sector.

The first report sets out how the policy framework will be enhanced during this Parliament to secure the long-term resilience of the water sector in dealing with pressures like climate change and a growing population.

This project assessed the performance of different types of public water supply systems in England and Wales in a range of droughts, including those that are more severe than the worst droughts in the historical record.

This information was used to identify the relative sensitivity of different supply systems under stress. The results of these ‘stress tests’ will help to improve our understanding of water supply system sensitivity to drought.

The Chief Executive of the Environment Agency says revitalising natural landscapes can reduce flood risk.

Sir James Bevan visited the uplands in the Peak District National Park on Friday to see firsthand how the Environment Agency’s investment is supporting the Moors for the Future Partnership in reversing the effects of hundreds of years of industrial pollution and helping to reduce flood risk.

The Environment Agency has carried out 16,000 inspections and identified around 660 flood defences needing repair work in the wake of record-breaking wet weather in December.

Heavy rain throughout December led to it becoming the wettest month on record, with 14 rivers across the north recording their highest ever flows. Almost 200 Environment Agency river level gauges recorded their highest ever river level, 10 per cent of the total across England. Honister Pass in Cumbria saw the highest amount of rainfall ever in a 24-hour period, as more than 341mm fell.

The current river basin district (RBD) management plans (RBMPs) published in 2009 have been updated and published today by the Environment Agency.

A RBD covers an entire river system, including river, lake, groundwater, estuarine and coastal water bodies. The RBD RBMPs are designed to protect and improve the quality of our water environment. Good quality water is essential for wildlife, agriculture and business to thrive. And is one of the means for boosting regeneration (both structural and economic), recreation and tourism.

The Environment Agency wants your views on the new water resources management plan guidelines.

The Environment Agency is consulting on the new technical guidelines for water companies to follow when writing their water resources management plans. The guidelines have been jointly produced by the Environment Agency, Defra, Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat.

We want to hear your thoughts, comments and opinions on this guidance.