The Our Rivers campaign is spearheaded by a coalition of the country’s leading NGOs - WWF, RSPB, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts although its strength will come from its roots - the wealth of knowledge that exists within local river networks. It is a campaign to focus attention on the rivers of England and Wales at a time when they need it most.

At the end of this year, as the Water Framework Directive is further implemented, the fate of every river in this country will be sealed in one of 11 River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). The plans content MUST be informed by the people who know their rivers best, the local groups and individuals living and working on them.

The draft RBMPs were criticised by leading NGOs not only for their significant lack of ambition but also for their impenetrability to all but a few with the time and resources to work through them. The upshot of this was that much of the local knowledge that exists about our rivers risked not being fed into the official process. Our Rivers worked to turn this around.

The success of the Our Rivers campaign will rely on groups and individuals who know their rivers, taking a series of timely steps over the coming months, to coincide with the timetable for the Water Framework Directive consultation. The Our Rivers website is designed to help you pull together what you already know about your river and help you use that information to maximum effect. For more information about HOW TO USE THE OUR RIVERS WEBSITE click here.

From influencing the Environment Agency River Basin Management Plans to making your concerns heard in Parliament, Our Rivers is making it simpler for you to stand up for your river.

The Our Rivers campaign centres around the Water Framework Directive. The Water Framework Directive does not deal with all the issues that might concern you as someone who cares about a river. For example, it does not deal with navigation, access or predation. For more information about what the Water Framework Directive does not cover and to find out who you can pass your concerns onto, click here.

Our Rivers is funded through the HSBC Climate Partnership