National Framework for Water Resources, England

On 16 March 2020, the Environment Agency launched the National Framework for Water Resources, a long-term plan for meeting the challenges water supplies are likely to face as a result of climate change and population growth in England.

The framework aims to bring together industry, regulators and government to change the way water supplies are used and maintained, seeking to ease the pressure on future water supplies by: 

• reducing demand to an average of 110 litres per person per day by 2050 
• improving water efficiency across all sectors 
• working with water companies to halve leakage rates by 2050 
• developing new supplies such as reservoirs, water re-use schemes and desalination plants 
• making it easier to move water to where it is needed through regional water transfers 
• reducing the use of drought measures that can impact the environment

The framework will guide these groups and deliver a national blueprint for future water resources planning from 2025 to 2050 and beyond. Additionally, the framework also sets out the challenges that water-intensive industries such as agriculture and power generation are likely to face across different parts of the country as a result of climate change, and suggestions on how they can be overcome.

Source: UK Government, 16 March 2020