The Thames and London

The river Thames runs through the UK's largest city and is the UK's most important river for water supply, transportation, recreation and fisheries. The UK has lower natural biodiversity than areas such as Brazil, higher environmental standards than some countries and greater awareness of environmental problems among the public, yet the Thames still suffers from similar problems to many rivers: pollution, over-use and physical alteration, among others.

The aim of this collaborative project between Earthwatch, The Lea Rivers Trust, WWF and the Zoological Society of London is to make the Thames basin more resilient to climate change impacts, as a model for other river basins in Europe. The project will involve HSBC employees as volunteer workers.

Assessment

• Gathering completed research, filling in gaps in existing knowledge and planning next steps in the following areas:
  • Water availability and consumption;
  • Water pricing;
  • Interaction between marine and freshwater legislation;
  • Capacity of local non-governmental organisations.

Policy work

• Promote the Blueprint for Water – a manifesto for sustainable water management throughout the UK;
• Influence national government river basin management plans;
• Influence London's governing bodies so that they plan and manage rivers in a more sustainable manner.

Capacity building

• Build knowledge in local communities and sport fishing clubs in the Thames basin and across the UK so that they can influence river basin management plans and help restore rivers.

Demonstration projects

• A site on the River Lea (a Thames tributary) to improve water quality and increase wildlife, so that the river can better cope with the impacts of climate change;
• Fund certification for small fisheries in the Thames estuary to encourage locally-produced food and help to conserve fish stocks and local livelihoods.

Sustainable London

• Sustainable London is a 50-year programme focusing on sustainable development – including adapting water management to the impacts of climate change – and integrating it within the sectors of:
  • Energy – better insulated buildings;
  • Transport – converting buses to run on environmentally-friendly fuel;
  • Food – locally produced;
• A sustainable cities partnership will be established to create a global network of sustainable cities.