Thames21 has launched its Five Year Plan (2023-2028) with a call for more collaborative action to get the River Thames and its tributaries ‘climate-ready’ to tackle the impacts of floods and droughts.

The environmental charity has announced plans to ramp up its efforts to work with communities and river stakeholders to help develop nature-based solutions to be better prepared to tackle the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.

Thames21 plans to develop and deliver nature-based strategies and solutions that help tackle the impacts includes developing ten sustainable drainage projects annually by 2028.

Debbie Leach, CEO at Thames21 said:

“The clock is ticking on preparing the river networks for the extremes of weather heading towards us. This is Thames21’s own plan – we need to hear more from all sectors and how plans will work together to protect not just our capital city and communities of the Thames Basin, but protect people around the country and around the world.”

Creating wetlands, planting trees, and supporting sustainable drainage systems to help improve biodiversity and help capture rainwater to reduce flood risks are just some of the solutions the charity will be developing to help make our rivers healthy and climate resilient.

Leach continued:

“Two decades on from its inception, Thames21 has developed a strong reputation for its work on delivering long-term environmental improvements to our rivers. This must continue. We now have an ambitious Five Year Plan, which will ramp up our efforts to make rivers and communities climate-resilient through initiatives such as nature-based solutions and river restoration programmes.

“Rivers are crucial in our response to the Climate and Nature Emergency and are vital tools if we are to tackle more extreme, accelerated and intense periods of drought and flood and manage their impact on people and wildlife.”

Wetlands can help to keep rivers flowing, even when rain is scarce. Water standing on the land in the right place also helps recharge the aquifers that underpin much of the public water supply.

Thames21 is currently working with partners to develop and implement a freshwater habitat creation and floodplain restoration scheme along the River Rom in East London. Wetland habitats will be restored to improve wildlife, biodiversity and help store flood water.

Image: Floating reed bed

The work forms part of three priority areas featured in Thames21’s Five Year Plan, which include:

• Tackling the Climate Emergency through creating climate-resilient rivers and communities
• Tackling the Nature Emergency by supporting healthy, varied wildlife populations in rivers and catchments
• Tackling the Social Emergency by working to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities

Droughts in Europe and floods in Pakistan this year has shown that countries across the world, including England, need to be better prepared to make rivers more resilient to cope with climate change-related extreme weather events.

The source of the River Thames, which is 215 miles long, is generally recognised to be at Trewsbury Mead, Gloucestershire in the Cotswolds - 38 main tributaries feed the Thames between its source and Teddington.

At the beginning of August the prolonged drought saw the source of the river dry up, shifting from its official start point and move more than 5 miles (8km) downstream. 

The report says that in some of the areas where Thames21 works, rivers are among the most degraded in the country - due to sewage, urban, industrial, and agricultural pollution, physical modification to river habitats, water abstraction, spread of invasive species and land use changes in river catchments.

However, it goes on to state:

"The scale of the challenges facing the Thames Basin may seem daunting, but by connecting the work of statutory organisations, the third sector, and businesses and communities to confront the climate emergency together, we can adapt our catchments and empower society to take action on the ground and become more resilient."

Thames21 is now urging the government, private sector and charities to work together to deliver effective action. The NGO also has the ambitious aim of expanding the number of volunteers actively involved in learning maintenance and river improvement projects to 12,000 by 2028.

Click here to download Thames21 Five Year Plan