New £1m initiative aims to restore River Wye
A £1m fund to investigate the sources of pollution in the River Wye has been jointly announced by the Welsh and UK governments.
Labour ministers in Westminster and Cardiff said the cash would allow for a "comprehensive cross-border research programme".
The Welsh Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, and UK Government’s Water Minister, Emma Hardy, made the announcement during a roundtable meeting in Monmouth with key stakeholders from both sides of the border.
The cross-border research programme will investigate the sources of the pollution and pressures affecting the river, study the impacts of changing farming practices and land management, develop and test new ways to improve water quality and examine what’s driving wildlife decline and water flow – the movement and quantity of water which is crucial for habitats and species
Local farmers, environmental groups, and citizen scientists will play a crucial role in gathering evidence and shaping the research priorities. The programme will work closely with established organisations including the Wye Catchment Partnership, the Nutrient Management Board, and farming organisations like Herefordshire Rural Hub and Farm Cymru.
Following the visit to Monmouth, the Deputy First Minister of Wales Huw Irranca-Davies said: "This is an important step to protect the River Wye, and we are committed to continuing to work together to restore our rivers.
“This research funding will support both nature recovery and sustainable farming practices to improve the local environment.
“By bringing together expertise from both sides of the border and working closely with local groups, we can better understand the challenges facing the river and find the solutions that will make a difference.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “For too long, the River Wye has suffered from extreme pollution, leading to devastating effects on wildlife and impacting all those who live along its banks.
“That is why we’re resetting relationships on both sides of the border to share our knowledge and make sure this research translates into real action.
“Our Water (Special Measures) Act has laid the foundations for cleaning up the water system. As part of the government’s Plan for Change to grow the economy and make Britain better off, over £100 billion of private sector money is being invested into the water sector to upgrade and build infrastructure.
“But we must go further, and vital research like this gets us one step closer to cleaning up rivers like the Wye for good.”
The initiative builds on existing collaboration between the UK and Welsh governments, including an ongoing £20 million project addressing soil phosphorus levels through the Land Use for Net Zero, People and Nature programme.
This new research will support wider government planning on water quality, nature recovery and farming regulation by identifying effective interventions that can be implemented at a landscape scale.
The Minister’s visit to Wales is the latest in a series of visits this week by the Environment Secretary and Water Minister Emma Hardy to iconic water sites across England and Wales as part of the ‘Things Can Only Get Cleaner’ tour.
Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said: “This is a fantastic first step for the long-running campaign to clean up the River Wye.
“For far too long, this national treasure has been pumped full of pollution with local wildlife and the local economy paying the price.
“The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning to save the River Wye from the very beginning and will continue to hold both the UK and Welsh governments' feet to the fire.
“Increased research and monitoring need to be backed by concrete enforcement action to clamp down on polluters right along the course of the river and it's tributaries.”
