26 Jun 2025
Image description: A water pump with water pouring out as it is operated. Image by congerdesign from Pixabay Water abstraction surges to record levels An investigation into licensing data by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian found that the volume of water taken from rivers and lakes for industrial or public consumption in England, known […]
19 Jun 2025
Image by Jonathan Bean, Un In their new report National Framework for Water Resources 2025: water for growth, nature and a resilient future, the Environment Agency is warning that England faces a 5 billion litre a day shortage in our public water supplies by 2055 – unless urgent action is taken. The report, published […]
12 Jun 2025
Image description: Dry, cracked earth. Image by Yusuf Gündüz. National Drought Group to meet monthly The Environment Agency (EA) convened a National Drought Group meeting, following the driest spring since 1893. EA director of water, Helen Wakeham, announced the group, which is formed of the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers, and experts, […]
15 May 2025
Image description: A river damn with trees and a grey sky in the background. Image by Marta Wave / Pexels. The Dam Removal Europe 2024 report showcases the growing momentum behind the removal of dams and other river barriers. For the first time, removals surpassed 500 in a single year, soaring to a new […]
08 May 2025
Image description: Close up shot of dry and barren soil. Image by Markus Spiske / Pexels The Environment Agency (EA) has urged water companies to do more to safeguard water supplies, and people should start rationing their water use, after the driest start to spring in 69 years. The government has also asked the […]
11 Mar 2025
Photo by Steffen Coonan Last year, the UK government announced plans to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England. However, a new report by Public First warns that 61,600 homes are unlikely to materialise in the next five years due to water scarcity, with local authorities in the east and south-east of England facing […]
13 Feb 2025
New research published in New Scientist says that severe droughts that persist for years have grown hotter, drier and larger since the 1980s. These long-lasting droughts – some of which are extreme enough to be classified as “megadroughts” – can be especially devastating to agriculture and ecosystems. Photo credit: Yusuf Gündüz Rising temperatures […]
19 Dec 2024
The Environment Agency is seeking views on updates to the guideline that water companies in England must follow when they prepare and publish their drought plans by 2027. The Agency has updated the guideline to ensure that all technical information is up to date and lessons learnt from recent research and experience of drought has […]
