Vote for Rivers at the upcoming General Election

We need the new government to:

• Prioritise nature recovery – make nature-based solutions like trees and wetlands to improve the environment and tackle climate change first choice, rather than relying on chemicals and concrete.
• Improve our understanding of rivers – support better data and evidence to improve regulatory monitoring and recognise the value of citizen science alongside it.
• Make polluters pay – drive strong enforcement of those who pollute to turn the tide on the abuse of our rivers.
• Manage land with water in mind - empower collaborative working that gets everyone involved in restoring our rivers.

Questions you can ask your candidates

We’ll all be experiencing more knocks on our front door over the coming weeks. When your local candidates and their teams come for a chat, you can be a voice for nature and for our rivers by asking them the following questions.

• How will you and your party tackle all types of pollution in our rivers? Sewage is not the only issue; farming and road run-off pollution are also devastating our rivers.
• How will your party work with nature to improve river health and tackle climate change?
• Will your party boost funding for regulators and strengthen enforcement so polluters are made to pay for their pollution?
• How will your party open up rivers and blue spaces in our towns and cities for health and wellbeing?
• How will your party support farmers & businesses manage their land sustainably for water?

The more of us that raise these issues on doorsteps, the stronger a message we can send.

More actions you can take

• Speak to your candidates - on the doorstep, on social media or by email. We have drafted a template for you to use at the bottom of this page.
• Join us in London on 22nd June for the #RestoreNatureNow march to Parliament
• Look out for ‘nature-based solutions, nature recovery, environmental regulation and monitoring’ in party manifestos.
• Speak to your friends, family and networks, and use #VoteForRivers
• Download our campaign assets to share on social media, and visit @theriverstrust to share our posts and amplify the message further
• Invite your organisation to be part of #VoteForRivers, get in touch with [email protected] to register your support and add your logo to the campaign supporters page

Why should I Vote for Rivers?

Simply put, healthy rivers are essential for more facets of life than you might realise. They are essential for wildlife, climate mitigation, mental and physical wellbeing, community connection and our economy.

When healthy, rivers and their banks provide a refuge and a network for myriad wildlife to thrive and move about – supporting some of our rarest species, such as water voles and atlantic salmon.

By acting to restore our rivers, we not only tackle the sewage problem that so many of us have seen or felt the effects of, but we also solve a range of other important issues too. Thriving rivers help us with water supply challenges and help us to handle flood and drought events by slowing the flow downstream and holding water in a catchment – a vital asset as we’re faced with a changing climate that brings higher year-round temperatures and more spells of increased rainfall. On climate, rivers also help tackle the problem by helping to absorb carbon.

The mental and physical benefits of spending time in nature are well-documented, and healthy rivers provide beautiful spaces with which to enjoy recreational or community activities, such as fishing, swimming, walking and paddling.

The economic argument also supports restoring our freshwater ecosystems. When our blue spaces thrive so does our economy – business can count on a reliable water supply, key infrastructure won’t suffer widespread flood damage, our population will be healthier and happier. There is no prosperity without healthy rivers.

Thank you for supporting the restoration of our blue spaces and being part of #VoteForRivers.

Use our email template

Dear [Candidate name],

I will be voting for rivers in the General Election on 4th July 2024 and, as a local resident and voter, need to know how you intend to stand up for our waterways.

The Rivers Trust’s State of Our Rivers Report 2024 lays bare the dire health of our waterways, which are facing devastating levels of pollution, swinging between extremes of flood and drought, and experiencing shocking drops in biodiversity:

• 0% of stretches of river in England are in good or high overall health.
• 0% of stretches of river in Northern Ireland are in good overall health.
• 44% of Wales’s river stretches achieve at least good overall status.
• 57.2% of Scotland’s river stretches are in good or better overall condition.

This is not breaking news – the issues faced by our rivers have been hitting the headlines for years and causing widespread public outcry. Yet not enough is being done to restore or protect our waterways.

Healthy rivers should be a priority for the next Government. From re-wiggling rivers, restoring floodplains, and greening our urban spaces, restoring our rivers means securing community resilience, a future for wildlife, and action for climate.

This is why I am supporting The Rivers Trust’s 4 asks for political candidates and parties:

• Prioritise nature recovery – make nature-based solutions like trees and wetlands to improve the environment and tackle climate change first choice, rather than relying on chemicals and concrete.
• Improve our understanding of rivers – support better data and evidence to improve regulatory monitoring and recognise the value of citizen science alongside it.
• Make polluters pay – drive strong enforcement of those who pollute to turn the tide on the abuse of our rivers.
• Manage land with water in mind – empower collaborative working that gets everyone involved in restoring our rivers.

Please let me know what actions you and your party intend to take to deliver the asks above and restore the health of our waterways.

I look forward to hearing from you and, if possible, please copy [email protected] in your reply.

Yours sincerely,

[Sender name]

Find the candidates running in your area using The Electoral Commission.