Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Four fetuses and three premature babies died at Nasser Medical Complex due to malnutrition
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the town of Burj Qalawieh, south Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The first ship of the Maghreb fleet delivering aid to break the siege on Gaza departs from the port of Gammarth in Tunisia.
Channel 12: Airspace closed at Ramon Airport due to fears of drone infiltration
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded over an aircraft infiltration in the Bir Ora area, and details are being examined
Drone infiltration sirens sound north of the Gulf of Aqaba
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected

Target to clean UK water bodies pushed back 30 years - 2027 to 2063

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 23 Dec 2022 12:38
4 Min Read

Data released by the Environment Agency show that only 16% of the latest state of rivers and lakes are found to be in good ecological status.

  • x
  • Sewage is dumping in UK's water sources (Sky News)
    Sewage dumped in UK's water sources (Sky News)

Not only is the world failing at just setting new and urgent targets to save the environment, but now targets that have already been set to clean up England's rivers, lakes, and coastal waters from pollution have been pushed back 30 years - from 2027 to 2063.

Pollution from water treatment plants and agriculture has been named as the key sources of damage in the UK's 3,651 water bodies, which has caused impediments to achieve good chemical and ecological status.

Read more: Macron urges to 'go big' on talks as COP15 nears end; no targets set

Before the infamous Brexit, the UK government signed the water framework directive, requiring participating countries to ensure all waters achieve “good” chemical and ecological status by 2027. By that year, only 4% of water bodies are on track to be in overall good condition.

'Nothing short of a tragedy'

The Wildlife Trusts said that previous plans from 2009 and 2015 have the responsibility to oversee the recovery of a large fragment of these waters by 2015 and 2021, but the targets were not just missed; have been pushed back.

This, according to water policy manager for the Wildlife Trusts Ali Morse, indicates that water bodies won't be healthy for the next few generations. “For too long we have allowed our rivers and lakes to become poisoned, decimating aquatic wildlife and habitats."

Related News

Raw sewage, farming pollution blight 90% of England’s rivers

Mass fish death hits Australia river, ‘impact unfathomable’

“We need ambitious targets to repair the immense damage inflicted on our natural world. Instead, the government is comfortable with kicking action on rivers into the long grass. At this rate, a great deal of us will not see England’s rivers and lakes given a clean bill of health in our lifetimes – and that is nothing short of a tragedy.”

The latest state of rivers and lakes released by the Environment Agency in 2020 shows that only 16% meet the criteria for good ecological status and that no water bodies are deemed to meet the criteria for achieving good chemical status. Both combined criteria are supposed to be met for a waterway to be considered in a good state.

Back in October, The Guardian reported that a leaked report revealed that for the past ten years, the Environment Agency was aware that raw sewage from wastewater treatment works was being illegally dumped into English rivers. 

One individual who worked on behalf of the EA admitted that the report “highlights how common” the practice of dumping sewage is. “This was known in 2012 when self-regulation was pushed and water quality monitoring, staffing and regulation was dramatically cut,” they added. “The agency had an opportunity to prevent over 10 years of illegal sewage dumping but chose not to take it, despite the funding being available. They knowingly permitted the illegal activity to continue.”

Acting before it's too late 

The EA said on Thursday that £5.3 billion ($6,398,557) is being invested in plans over the course of the next five years to protect and improve the UK's waters, which are legally binding. The plans' objectives are to tackle main threats, such as agricultural pollution, climate change, and excessive population growth.

The Agency's executive director, John Leyland, said, “Whilst progress has been made to protect and enhance England’s waters, it is clear that considerable time and investment will still be needed if we are to see further improvement in our water environment that we all want.”

The £5.3bn action plan which was supposed to be achieved by 2027 was already funded - including £4.3 billion by water companies and more than £500 million to tackle agricultural effects on the water environment. However, as per the EA, if no progress is made, then only 6% of the water bodies would be in a good ecological state by 2043.

The Wildlife Trusts stated that pressure from water demand and pollution was non-stop, and from record-breaking temperatures and low rainfall to dumping raw sewage into rivers, it can be indicated that there is insufficient attention directed at sewage infrastructure.

Morse said that chemical pollution was the main reason behind the major delay. Waterways are polluted by landfill sites, urban runoff, or agriculture. Once these chemicals reach the environment, the pollution spreads like fire - making it much harder to reverse and remove them.

  • rivers
  • Environment
  • Brexit
  • UK

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

American far-right activist Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
A screengrab from the ad played on Fox News. (X Screengrab)

Fox airs ad warning Trump not to let Netanyahu 'play' him on Gaza

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' stops unfunded diplomacy ahead of UN, October 7 memorial

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet releases flares over the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

OIC summit draft: Israeli attack on Qatar risks normalization

People shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags while protesting during the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta cycling race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP)
Sports

Pro-Palestine protests force abrupt end to Vuelta a España finale

Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime faces growing isolation over Qatar strike: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS