30 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Photoholgic on Unsplash The Environment Agency has declared drought across seven regions of England, covering just over half the country, following what is set to be the driest July on record. The declaration moves East Anglia, Hertfordshire and North London, Thames, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands and […]
30 Jul 2026
Photo credit: SHTTEFAN on Unsplash England has enough available water to supply only 420,000 of the 1.5 million new homes the government has pledged this Parliament, according to analysis commissioned by the industry body Water UK. The research, carried out by the consultancy Public First, warns that some parts of the country have only a 2 […]
30 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Md. Hasanuzzaman Himel As drought spreads across half of England, the National Farmers’ Union has called for changes to abstraction rules and planning to protect food production. Low river flows have driven 1,506 restrictions on abstraction licences, and high irrigation demand is rapidly depleting farm reservoirs, leaving the union warning that growers […]
31 Jul 2025
New findings from studying over two decades of satellite observations reveal that Earth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. The study, led by Arizona State University and published in Science Advances, highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-drying” regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, […]
24 Jul 2025
In an analysis of the best available Earth systems models, researchers found that by the turn of the next century, 850 million people will feel the effects of declining runoff from the world’s major rivers. That is more than three times the number estimated by previous analysis of Earth system models, says Puja Das, a post-doctoral […]
17 Jul 2025
With a growing number of UK regions facing drought conditions, new research from the University of Surrey shows that helping households use less water means first understanding their everyday habits – and getting the public onboard attempts to change those habits. A collaboration between Surrey academics and more than 100 professionals across the water sector has […]
06 Nov 2024
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published a series of reports on future projections of water resource and demand in the UK. The reports include: Analysis of outputs – A report discussing future projections of UK river flows impacted by water abstraction or discharge under different warming scenarios, up to 2080. Hydrological […]
09 Oct 2024
The Environment Agency has published analysis of the water resources management plan annual review submissions from water companies across England for the period April 2023 to March 2024. Credit: Tom Fisk According to the Agency, this reporting year’s wet weather has provided respite for the industry following the widespread drought conditions in 2022. […]
