Not a single river in England or Northern Ireland meets the mark for good health, spotlighting the grim reality of water pollution's toll.
Sandra Laville reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- More than half of England's rivers fail chemical and ecological tests due to pollution from both treated and untreated sewage.
- Agricultural runoff is a major culprit, with 62% of waterways not meeting good standards for chemical and biological pollution.
- Urban runoff and industrial discharge further exacerbate the issue, leaving rivers chemically unsafe and ecologically poor.
Key quote:
“The State of Our Rivers report is a huge passion project for us, as it’s so important to ensure that science and evidence are at the heart of conversations about how to improve our rivers."
— Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Rivers Trust
Why this matters:
The health of our rivers is a critical barometer for environmental well-being, impacting everything from biodiversity to public health.
In this story, Erin West reports on how some communities along the Ohio River are exploring a growing movement to bestow legal protections to the river that could go beyond existing environmental regulations.
