Every drop of fresh water is precious.
But pollution, climate change and over-exploitation have brought our fresh water systems to crisis point. We want to transform our rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands and reservoirs into clean, thriving habitats for people and wildlife.
Through the FreshWater Watch programme, we use the power of citizen science to give communities across the globe the tools to monitor water quality, identify problems and fight for improvements.
By 2030, we want to see 100,000 people safeguard 10,000 waterbodies across Europe and Africa.
Only 2.5% of all water in the world is fresh water, and less than 1% of this is accessible. By 2050, nearly 50% of the world’s population will be living in areas where water is scarce.
10% of the world’s animal species live exclusively in freshwater habitats and need them to survive. But nearly 25% of these species are threatened with extinction.
Only 14% of the UK’s rivers are currently considered to be in good ecological health. Worryingly, every single one of them fails to meet the required chemical standards.
How we make a difference
Pollution, climate change, and over-exploitation have brought our freshwater systems to crisis point. Many rivers are no longer fit to swim in and our water supplies for drinking and growing food are threatened.
Working together with local communities and partners, we have created a growing network of citizen scientists across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Using the FreshWater Watch toolkit, they detect nutrient pollution, report the results, and fight for real change.
April 24th - 27th
The Great UK WaterBlitz is a biannual campaign calling on everyone to go outside and test the quality of freshwater bodies, including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, canals and wetlands. This vital data provides a useful snapshot in time, and helps to build a clearer picture of water quality across the UK.
Coming soon