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
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace
Member of the Ansar Allah Political Bureau, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti: The Israeli aggression on Yemen will not deter us from continuing to support Gaza, no matter the sacrifices
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Israeli aggression targeted the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street, southwest of the capital, Sanaa, with several raids

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

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Palestine will not be liberated by UN reports, but by pursuing a different strategic horizon: one that does not beg for recognition. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Economy of Genocide: Albanese's report accuses, but doesn't dismantle system

  • Opinion
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

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