Event

Cleaner rivers

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute of Welsh Affairs explores how Welsh rivers can be brought back to life through restoring ecosystems.

Join us as we explore how we can bring our rivers in Wales back to life through restoring ecosystems.

Welsh rivers are in a dire state. Pollution has poisoned many of our waterways, and freshwater biodiversity is suffering. Salmon and Sea Trout (who migrate between rivers and the sea) numbers are in freefall, with 70% lost over the past decade and every salmon river now recognized as being at the highest risk.

This problem has not arisen overnight and is a legacy of environmentally damaging practices and ineffective regulation, alongside lax monitoring and enforcement regimes. As Wales heads toward 2030, and the almost certainty that it will fail to meet key water quality goals, this webinar will identify what actions must be taken by the next Welsh Government to clean up our waterways before it’s too late.

This webinar will look to both understand what actions are underway to reduce pollution, and what more needs to be done in policy, regulation and funding to drive Wales toward a healthy freshwater environment in the next decade.

We will also look to the experience of local communities and learn how those communities are taking action into their own hands to help clean up their rivers.

The webinar, chaired by IWA’s Co-Director Joe Rossiter, will bring together a panel of experts and practitioners to identify priority recommendations for the next Welsh Government.

Speakers

Gail Davies-Walsh – CEO, Afonydd Cymru

Kate Strong – Community Leader, Taff Tidy

Rhodri Lloyd-Williams -Moelgolomen Farm

Steve Wilson – Chief Operations Officer, Dŵr Cymru