Water Summit aims to drive collaborative river solutions in Wales
Water Summit aims to drive collaborative river solutions in Wales
Subscribe to the Businessin Wales daily newsletter for FREE here.
Urgent action is needed to tackle agricultural pollution and restore the health of Wales’ rivers, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies has warned ahead of the Water Summit being held at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.
The event will bring together government, farmers, water companies and environmental organisations to explore joint solutions to water quality challenges that continue to blight rivers and coastal waters across Wales.
Welsh Government has already committed £52 million to support nutrient management improvements, with more than 540 applications received in the latest funding round. However, the Deputy First Minister stressed that investment alone will not be enough and called for “a whole of society response.”
He said: “Water is one of our most fundamental resources, for people and for nature. We must clean up our rivers. The current state of our waterways in Wales is rightly a cause for concern for people up and down the country. Too many of our rivers are too polluted. That cannot continue.
“We know that improving the health of our rivers means that we have to collaborate, across all sectors of society. It requires action from water companies, regulators, government, developers, farmers, environmental organisations and more. We need a whole of society response, where every sector takes responsibility for doing what we can.
“From the uplands of Eryri to the dairy pastures in Pembrokeshire, water is central to agriculture – to livestock health, crop productivity and the resilience of local economies.”
Agriculture will be a central focus at the summit, with discussions on how land, soil and nutrient management practices directly impact water quality.
The Deputy First Minister added: “Good water quality isn’t just an environmental goal. It’s a foundation for a strong, resilient, farming future here in Wales.
“Those of you working in the agriculture sector are central to the solution. Working together, we need to go further than we have before, challenge each other more than we have before, and we need to move quickly to make real improvements.
“It is also true that the way we manage land, soil and nutrients can have a profound impact on water quality. This summit is about recognising this reality – and responding to it.”
Alongside the existing £52m commitment, the Welsh Government has today announced an additional £550,000 to support the West Wales Nutrient Management Board. The new funding will help install real-time water quality monitors to target nutrient pollution and fund a dedicated Marine Nutrients Co-ordinator.
The Sustainable Farming Scheme, which contains measures on soil health, integrated pest management and habitat maintenance, is also expected to play a key role in shaping long-term improvements to river health.
A follow-up Water Summit is planned later this year to assess progress and maintain momentum on actions identified at today’s gathering.
Concluding his remarks, the Deputy First Minister said: “Together we can rise to the challenge and show that farming and water protection are not at odds – they’re part of the same future.”
Want more from Businessin Wales? Why not follow us on our socials
Listen to the Businessin Wales podcast
