This year, The Rivers Trust joins with Westcountry Rivers Trust to deliver its annual conference online for the first time. On 16th and 17th March, we will be looking at climate change, one of the most pressing issues of our age.

Water is the life source of our planet and therefore it must be at the heart of policies and projects mitigating the effects of climate change, and building a society that is better prepared for its consequences. We know that the impacts of the climate crisis will be felt first and most dramatically through the effects on water resources. Changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures will result in more floods, more droughts and greater vulnerability to pollution. As the world continues to experience the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that water and climate are not overlooked in the national conversation, but made a fundamental aspect of a truly green – and we hope, blue - recovery. The work of the Rivers Trust Movement is critical to building our national climate resilience given the predicted impacts on the UK. To build resilience, we need to anticipate what the risks will be, understand what we want to protect and prioritise, and mobilise to accelerate the recovery of our depleted natural water resources. For the event, we’re preparing a programme of speakers who are working on water and climate resilience from a variety of perspectives: environmental charities, government bodies, water companies, corporate partners, and campaigners. If you have an idea for a conference session yourself, you can find information about submitting a pitch here. This conference is supported by Triple-C, which focuses on the capitalisation of successful initiatives and projects relating to the prevention and management of risks derived from climate change. Together with partners across the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal, the collective findings from more than 300 projects will be reviewed along with the investigation and promotion of actions that can ameliorate the impacts on society. These risks include flooding, drought, erosion, water pollution and fire from major habitat types including urban, agricultural, forest, coastal, marine, lakes and rivers. The event is free and open to anyone with an interest in water and climate change, so register now to join the conversation and take a step towards a more resilient future.

Register here

Call for submissions

If you have been involved in a project, initiative, or campaign focused on water and climate change, we want to hear from you. We are now accepting pitches for conference sessions, whether you want to deliver a presentation, join a panel discussion, or even share a short film. To submit an idea, email a 300 word pitch outlining your topic to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 5th February. Please include:

Who do you want to present and why?
What format are you suggesting?
How long would the session be? The maximum length is 45 minutes for multiple speakers and 30 minutes for one speaker, including time for questions.
If you are discussing a particular project, who are the project funders?

You can email the same address if you have any questions about the event. If you have not heard from us by Friday 19th February, unfortunately this means your pitch was unsuccessful on this occasion.