Additional funding for future water quality programmes announced
Cyhoeddi cyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer rhaglenni ansawdd dŵr yn y dyfodol
An additional £16m has been announced to tackle issues that threaten Wales’ water quality.
The announcement was made by the Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies during a recent visit to the Uwch Conwy catchment project in north Wales - one of the projects which has benefited from £40m funding through the Water Quality Capital Programme.
The additional funding will allow Natural Resources Wales and the Mining Remediation Authority to tackle some of the key issues that threaten our water environment. These include rivers that have been modified from their natural state, pollution from towns, cities and transport, pollution from rural areas and pollution from historic metal mines.
The Deputy First Minister, said: “I know how strongly people feel about improving water quality and restoring our rivers – and rightly so. That’s why we have provided NRW and the MRA with an extra £16 million of funding this year in the draft budget to do just that
I’m so proud that capital spending exceeds £3bn for the first time in our draft budget, and that includes money to improve water quality and restore our rivers.
Having benefited from previous funding, the Uwch Conwy catchment project is a partnership project between Natural Resources Wales and National Trust Cymru and has enabled collaboration between tenants, farmers, landowners, and communities to deliver benefits to people who live in the Conwy Valley.
Speaking about the recent visit to Capel Curig, the Deputy First Minister, said: ”It’s been fascinating to learn more about the work that’s been going on here in the Uwch Conwy catchment since 2020.
“From re-profiling sections of riverbank so that the river can reconnect to the floodplain; introducing boulders back into the river; planting trees to stabilize riverbanks and restoring peat habitats – these are all great examples of how we can take action to bring a whole range of benefits to both water quality and nature.
“The project has also created better access to the area for people, by improving the footpaths, replacing bridges and creating permissive pathway so that people can enjoy their local area. I look forward to seeing more projects like this with the additional funding.”
Euros Jones, NRW’s Operations Manager for North West Wales, said: “This funding from Welsh Government allows us to tackle some of the key issues that threaten the water environment including climate change impacts.
“Improving water quality is key to protect habitats and species and benefit people’s wellbeing.
“Welsh Government funding allows us, through our Water Capital Programme, to ensure the right activities are implemented in the right place which allows us to contribute to the longer-term objective of achieving the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources for the water environment and Wales’ wellbeing goals.”
Notes to editors
• A wide-ranging, independent review of policy and regulation in the water sector is underway and will report to both Welsh Government and Defra later this year.
• We will continue working closely with partners in UK Government and across the water sector to realise our shared goals of a cleaner and more environmentally responsible Wales .
• The Welsh Government is working closely with the UK Government in developing the Water (Special Measures) Bill which aims to strengthen the regulation of water companies and support the longer-term work of cleaning up rivers, lakes and seas.
• NRW and WG are working in partnership with National Trust in the Upper Conwy on a landscape scale project
• Covering 3% of Wales (337km squared) the Uwch Conwy Catchment Project is an example of this work and we are collaborating with tenants, farmers, landowners, and communities to deliver benefits to nature and people who live in the Conwy Valley.
• This is a great example of partnership working looking at innovative ways to benefit the environment.
• Work took place at Dyffryn Mymbyr, a National Trust tenant farm in Conwy County, to re-profile sections of riverbank so the river could reconnect to the floodplain, reducing flood risk, while boulders were reintroduced into the channel creating pools and riffles, enabling gravels to collect and create spawning beds.
• Trees have been planted on the riverbank to stabilize banks, provide shade, cover for fish from predation by birds and providing a valuable wildlife corridor for bats and small mammals.
• Cattle management has also taken place to reduce the input of sediment into the rive