Monmouthshire County Council has welcomed a £1 million fund to tackle water quality in the River Wye.
The council said it was dedicated to working collaboratively with the Welsh and UK Governments, neighbouring councils in the Wye Partnership, the Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board, and local partners to enhance the ongoing work and progressing actions within the council’s Climate and Nature Strategy.
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
- Examine what’s driving wildlife decline and water flow – the movement and quantity of water which is crucial for habitats and species
The council said it was committed to playing its role in cleaning up the rivers that flow through the county, adding that it had passed a Motion for the Rivers and Ocean. It said that rivers are at the heart of the natural environment, cultural heritage and economy and are of enormous importance for wildlife, recreation and tourism. It added that rivers and oceans are in crisis due to pollution from sewage, agricultural practices, pressure from development, plastics and rising temperatures.
It said that the new investment would help the council and its partners to ensure the future of rivers.
Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, Cllr Catrin Maby, said:
“The £1 million investment in research is very welcome. As a citizen scientist, I test my local river weekly, and as a council, we’re committed to doing everything we can to tackle climate change and protect the natural environment. We work with our partners across local authorities and sectors in the Wye and Usk catchment partnerships, and were delighted to welcome the Ministers from the UK as well as the Welsh Government to Monmouth this week, and to see them sitting side by side and pledging their commitment to saving our rivers.”
