A new report from the British Ecological Society recommends incentivising farmers and monitoring to help restore England’s polluted fresh waters.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) asked the British Ecological Society (BES) to bring together nearly 40 experts to collate opinion on freshwater policy and set out priorities for the biodiversity evidence programme to focus on. 

The Environment Act (2021) sets out much-needed targets for both water quality and biodiversity, but the road to achieving these goals is complex. In addition, current water targets do not provide flexibility for emerging threats such as climate change and novel chemical pollution, including Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), often termed ‘forever chemicals’. 

"Tackling a nationally important issue like fresh water health requires close collaboration between the research and policy community, so it’s been fantastic to see these groups come together." Dr Emma Ransome, Lecturer, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial

The report produced by BES, including experts from Imperial College London, sets out how Environment Act targets for water deliver for biodiversity in freshwater and what priority actions should be taken to achieve them by 2030. 

Lead author of the report Dr Emma Ransome, Lecturer at Imperial's Department of Life Sciences, and co-chair of the BES Aquatic Ecology Group, said: “Tackling a nationally important issue like fresh water health requires close collaboration between the research and policy community, so it’s been fantastic to see these groups come together. Through our workshop and report we have rapidly canvased expert opinion on key actions to revive England’s rivers and other freshwater habitats that will allow policy makers to prioritise their activities."

The report identifies priority actions for restoring freshwater biodiversity which include reducing pollution from agriculture, wastewater, and other sources; enhancing freshwater habitat connectivity; a more comprehensive approach monitoring; and an update to aquatic biodiversity indicators. 

Experts stated that reducing agricultural pollution is a priority, given that the agricultural sector is responsible for 40% of England’s river pollution, higher than water companies which are accountable for 36%. 

With 70% of England’s land farmed, it was recommended that farmers should be better incentivised to reduce the flow of agricultural pollution into waterways by taking up regenerative agriculture practices, such as those which reduce the use of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides as well as farming back from rivers, fencing off watercourses to keep livestock out, and planting riparian woodlands. 

Rob Booth, Senior Policy Officer, British Ecological Society said: "As our report recognises, land management actions to improve water quality are already financially rewarded in England through various schemes and offers, so the question is how to improve uptake. The report states that such actions should be 'rewarded appropriately' and given growing societal concern about cleaning up England's rivers, such actions would surely resonate with the public." 

As well as incentives, farmers also need clear and independent advice, that is routed in ecological evidence, on delivering environmental sustainability. 

The report recommends better monitoring and regulation of wastewater treatment works, along with improvements to infrastructure, which will be essential to reducing sewage overflows. Priorities include targeting failing sewage plants, particularly those in headwaters to help improve biodiversity along the entire length of a river, and preventing combined sewage overflow dry spills (spills not caused by heavy rain). 

Making rivers and floodplains more connected will improve the functioning and resilience of ecosystems, by removal of barriers such as weirs and restoring smaller water bodies like ponds, canals and wetlands. 

The report calls for sustained investment in monitoring the state of biodiversity in England’s fresh waters, and the threats it faces. Without this, it will be impossible to know if DEFRA’s biodiversity targets are being achieved, to accurately trace sources of pollution, or to fully understand the factors that impact the biological status of the fresh waters. 

Freshwater invertebrates (such as insects and crustaceans) are currently used as the primary indicators of freshwater ecological quality. But the report argues that there is no single ‘best’ indicator of change in the water environment and several indicators are required to accurately monitor progress towards DEFRA’s biodiversity targets.  

Hazel Norman, CEO of the British Ecological Society, said: “From shocking footage of sewage spills to in-depth reports, the dire state of England’s freshwaters has never been more visible to us. The government knows action needs to be taken and has set out vital targets for water quality and biodiversity, but achieving these goals is far from easy, with numerous interlinked pressures threatening our fresh water. 

“Our precious freshwater ecosystems are very sensitive to pressures like pollution and climate change, so it is essential to invest in monitoring these habitats to gather robust evidence of change.”  Dr Steve Thackeray Group Leader and Lake Ecologist at UKCEH

BES’s new report arms DEFRA with the ecological expertise needed to understand the pressures on our freshwater environments and sets out clear priority actions to turn the tide of biodiversity loss.” 

The other lead author of the report, Dr Steve Thackeray, Group Leader and lake ecologist at UKCEH, said: “Our precious freshwater ecosystems are home to a huge diversity of species and are always changing. They are very sensitive to pressures like pollution and climate change, so it is essential to invest in monitoring these habitats to gather robust evidence of change. Only then can we detect deterioration and track any improvements that arise through our actions.” 

• Based on the press release from the British Ecological Society.  
• Today Programme BBC4 Radio interview with Dr Emma Ransome, 22 March 2024, (1.22)
• The BES-DEFRA report, Delivering Biodiversity: Priority Actions for Fresh Water can be found here.