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View full size (PDF)

The declaration of the rights of the Cam at 6pm by ninety of us, pledging to become the guardians of the River was the serious centre point of a celebration that lasted between 4pm and 7.30. There was music, poetry, creation of river pictures, and a wish tree for the river.

It was a cloudy day with some light drizzle from time to time but the atmosphere was joyous and a samba band was always ready to up the mood. The rain was helping to sustain the river and perhaps was already part of the river even before it fell.

From time to time people spoke of their connection to the river. Paul Powlesland, barrister and environmental activist and founder of Lawyers for Nature, joined us to talk of the need for nature rights and a push to change the lack of balance in the law away from environmental polluters. Junayd Islam, representing the Schools' Eco Council told of his shock when he discovered the difference between how chalk streams are meant to be and how the Cam is now.

Among a number of powerful poems, there were some intriguing erasure poems created by progressively paring down a piece of text from 'Anglian Water's Pollution Incident Plan' to reveal something more life-affirming. There was some poetic justice in trying to remove polluting phrases from the company responsible for frequent dumping of raw sewage into the Cam.

At 6pm we stood in distanced concentric circles to read the declaration together. We recognised that in declaring the rights of our river we were at the same time declaring the rights of all rivers. We knew we were part of a long tradition of respect for rivers shown by Indigenous peoples around the world. We connected the plight of our river to the climate and biodiversity emergencies and drew attention in particular to threats to its health and survival from over-abstraction, pollution from many sources, and the encroachment of massive unsustainable growth in building and infrastructure putting an impossible strain on water supply. We declared the right of our river: to flow and be free from over-abstration; to be free from pollution; to be fed by sustainable aquifers; to perform essential functions within its ecosystems; to native biodiversity; to restoration; and to maintain its connections with other streams and rivers.

Towards the end of the occasion a few exuberant people took to the water. We aim to create a cleaner, natural flowing river, a restored and nationally treasured chalk stream, for future generations. This is their right, our right and the river's right too.

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Midsummer - June 21st - Celebration of the River Cam and Ceremony to

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View full size (PDF) The declaration of the rights of the Cam at 6pm by ninety of us, pledging to become the guardians of the River was the serious centre point of a celebration that lasted between 4pm and 7.30. There was music, poetry, creation of river pictures, and a wish tree for the river.

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Here is the draft bylaw for Frome

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Hi, A lovely guesture for the river.  How has the initial idea of a 'right to flood' been dealt with, I see it is no longer a suggested right or is it included in the right to flow? I did find that particular right controversial. Who will 'speak' for the river? All Residents? A committee? An elected individual (Taff Ambassador or maybe a Taff local councillor elected solely to act on behalf of the river?)  😍🏞️

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Hi, A lovely guesture for the river.  How has the initial idea of a 'right to flood' been dealt with, I see it is no longer a suggested right or is it included in the right to flow? I did find that particular right controversial. Who will 'speak' for the river? All Residents? A committee? An elected individual (Taff Ambassador or maybe a Taff local councillor elected solely to act on behalf of the river?)  😍🏞️

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1. THE RIGHT TO FLOW,

2. THE RIGHT TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS WITHIN ITS ECOSYSTEM,

3. THE RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM POLLUTION,

4. THE RIGHT TO FEED AND BE FED BY SUSTAINABLE AQUIFERS,

5. THE RIGHT TO NATIVE BIODIVERSITY, AND

6. THE RIGHT TO REGENERATION AND RESTORATION.

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SIGN THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF RIVERS

To: Government officials at the municipal, state, provincial, and national level

We, the undersigned, urge you to stand with a growing international movement to protect rivers, freshwater ecosystems, and all who depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods.

You can do so by seeing to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers in your country's laws and ensuring its adoption results in the vital protections it guarantees.

Given the alarming degradation of rivers globally and the resulting harms to the climate, wildlife, public health, and local economies, we urge you to act without delay.
The declaration states that all rivers are: And that:

These rights shall extend to the health of watersheds and river basins.

Indigenous communities will be represented in river guardianship.

All states will implement these rights and provide the resources necessary to ensure they are realized.

More than 100 organizations from more than 20 countries have so far endorsed The Declaration.

ADD YOUR NAME

We will never sell or swap your personal information with anyone else. We will only share your contact info with the organizations of your choosing if you give us permission to do so. Read more about how we use your information at RightsOfRivers.org/Privacy

AEMS-Ríos con Vida

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

"Amici del torrente Alberone" Committee

Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc.

Asociación Ambiental E Cultrual Petón Do Lobo

Association of Friends of Ina and Gowienica Rivers

Bulat Yessekin GWP Central Asia, Mongolia and Caucasus

Centar za zivotnu sredinu/Center for Environment

Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North

COMITÊ DE DEFESA DA VIDA AMAZONICA NA BACIA DO RIO MADEIRA

Curator, Water Literacy

Dodder Action

Earth Thrive

Eco-TIRAS International Association of River Keepers

Ecological Center Dront Eurasian National University

Foundation for Conservation of Nigerian Rivers

Fundacion Plantae

Friends of the Baltic non-profit Environmental Organization

Friends of the Siberian Forests - Russia

Global Pact Coalition

GWP Central Asia, Mongolia and Caucasus

Huerto Roma Verde

Initiative for Climate Action

IRIKEFE V. Dafe, Foundation for Conservation of Nigerian Rivers

Kiva Kumbha Mela 2019

Lagan Rivers Trust

Litigio Estratégico Indígena

Mekong Kayaks

Naciones Unidas del Espíritu

NGO "Kyubeye", Yakutia

Olga Senova, Friends of the Baltic non-profit environmental organization, Russia, Baltic Sea basin

Organizatorom to Save nature"Samokov"

Pachamama Alliance

People and Nature Reconciliation

Plataforma de Toledo en Defensa del Tajo

Project Lake Baikal Expedition

Rak Chiang Kong Group

Rights of Nature Sweden

riverbangla

RiverWatch

Save the Colorado: Colorado River Waterkeeper Network

Scientists4Mekong

Survivors of Lesotho Dams

Synchronicity Earth

The Gaia Foundation

Union for Defence of the Aral Sea and Amudarya

Wolne Rzeki

Yarra Riverkeeper Association

Спиридонова Людмила Михайловна

African Biodiversity Network (ABN)

Amigos E Amigas Dos Bosques "O Ouriol Do Anllóns"

Aqua Happiness

Asociación Galega Cova Crea

BE.TIME Andalusian Non-Profit Cooperative Society

Biodiversity Conservation Center

Bomenridders Groningen

Carlos Zorrilla DECOIN Defensa y Conservación Ecológica de Intag

Center for Creative Ecologies

Chile Sustentable

Comitato Terre S.Giovanni

Consejo de Visiones

Department of Sociology and Social Policy, The University of Sydney

Earth Advocacy Youth

EarthLore - South Africa and Zimbabwe

Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl

Ecological Initiative BURENCO-plus

Endangerd Habitats League

Evgeny Orlov, IKC Strix, Nizny Novgorod, RF

Forum Diritti Natura

Foundation of Sami heritage and Development

Friends of the Gatineau River

Frontera Water Protection Alliance

GRABE-Benin - Benin

Halda River Conservation Committee

Jamessira Centre for Development

Id*eau, imagination durable pour l'eau douce

Itelmen Inigenous Community

La casa de la Ixtli

Lawyers for Nature

Legambiente Piacenza

Lo INSTITUTO MADEIRA VIVO-IMV

Lynn Canal Conservation

Mexican Institute of Water Technology

Movement for Ecological Learning and Community Action (MELCA) - Ethiopia

Nature's Rights

Notre Affaire à Tous

Orca Network

Pacto Mundial Consciente

Planet Politics Institute

Project Maje

Poets for the Peace

Public movement in defense of the Volga river "Let's help the river"

River Collective

Rio Grande Restoration

Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition

Rotary International

Sakhalin Environment Watch

Save the Tigris Campaign

Snoqualmie Community Action Network

Society for Alternative Learning and Transformation (SALT) - Kenya

The Organizing Committee of the Animal Protection party

USArchive & Imaging Services, Inc.

Youth and Environment Europe

Yurok Tribe

African Institute for Culture and Ecology (AFRICE) - Uganda

Arctic Consult - Norway

Arts In Color

Asociación Quisca

Bufete para Pueblos Indígenas

Bios Argentina

Cartagena Araoz

Center for Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples of the North

Circolo Legambiente Gli Amici del Lago

Colectivo Mura De Porto Velho

Convener, National River Conservation Movement, BAPA

Derechos de la Madre Tierra México

Earth Law Center

EarthRights International

EcoBirth-Women for Earth and Birth

Equipo de Trabajo por Derechos Colectivos

Familia Vrinda

Forum For Better Bapatla

Freshwater Life

Friends of the Siberian Forests

GegenStroemung - CounterCurrent / INFOE e. V.

Huaynakana Kamatahuara kana - The Federation of Indigenous Kukama Women of the Samiria and Marañón Rivers

International Indigenous Fund for Development and Solidarity "Batani"

Kazakhstan Farmer Foundation

La Red Pantanal

Lipetsk Socio-ecological UnionВалерий Королев

Local Association of Public Associations of Indigenous Minorities of the North of the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets Municipal District of Russia

Movement Rights

Network of Thai Mekong People in 8 provinces

Nepal Water Conservation Foundation

O Ouriol do Anllóns

Open-Source

P C Sai Babu, Forum For Better Bapatla

Peace Valley Landowner Association

Presentation Sisters NL

Pure Inspirations

Renacimiento Mexicano

River Ethiope Trust Foundation

Riverine People

Rivers without Boundaries Mongolia

Russian Social-Ecological Union / Friends of the Earth Russia

Salviamo il Paesaggio Valdossola

Save the coastalpeople- SCOPE

Save the Zambezi

Tajik Social and Ecological Union

The Spokane Ecosocialist

Watershed Watch Salmon Society

Water Justice - Justicia Hídrica Alliance

Валерий Королев, Липецкий социально-экологический союз

THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF RIVERS

PREAMBLE

AWARE that all people, including indigenous communities and other local communities of all spiritual faiths, have long held through their traditions, religions, customs, and laws that nature (often called "Mother Earth") is a rights-bearing entity, and that rivers in particular are sacred entities possessing their own fundamental rights,

CONVINCED that recognizing the rights of nature, and in particular recognizing those river rights contained in this Declaration, will foster the creation of a new legal and social paradigm based on living in harmony with nature and respecting both the rights of nature and human rights, particularly with reference to the urgent needs of indigenous communities and the ecosystems they have long protected.

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To: Government officials at the municipal, state, provincial, and national level We, the undersigned, urge you to stand with a growing international movement to protect rivers, freshwater ecosystems, and all who depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods.

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To be litter free

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No fly tipping

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To be looked after, by those who live along it.

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to be respected

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Wild swimming

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I walk the trail every day. I would love to see something done to remove all the litter and debris that is stuck to the trees by the riverbank. Most of it is impossible to reach. Litter bins placed for example by the new bridge or at the crossroads by Cilfynydd rugby pitch or the sewage works might stop people throwing their drink bottles in the hedges.

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A lot of the debris is still there from the floods too.

How about litter picking kayaks!?

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A river path from ponty down to Tongwynlais & up the valley as for as possible from the old bridge
Canadian canoeing from the old bridge up the taff summer months

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Cycled down there loads of times, beautiful place... shame about the litter, but it's the same wherever you go

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Severely restrict the amount of untreated sewage WAG allow water companies to discharge into the river. Enforce the rules and heavily fine them and any other polluters when they offend. It's a joke at the moment.

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Removal of large items of debris that are brought down the river during times of flooding. There is a plastic toilet wedged into some trees on Berw Road.

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The river is beautiful but the debris and litter really spoil it.

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Controversial, I know but if there’s too much concrete and fake grass about, it’s not the fault of dear old Taff if it can’t contain itself.

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We will never stop a river flooding especially as the weather gets more extreme. We need a rethink about how we re design flood plains that are already built up to allow nature to do what she will anyway but with less harm & support people & businesses to move away from the flood plains if this is what they want to do.

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Who upholds the rivers rights? Who speaks for the river? Can a river be sued?

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The right for the Taff to never be fed raw, or cooked, sewage.

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Raw sewage was dumped into Welsh rivers more than 100,000 times last year - for almost 900,000 hours.

The discharges happened across more than 2,000 water treatment works and sewer overflows across the Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water network in 2020.

But the not-for-profit operator has insisted it is working to meet all environmental regulations.

It said more monitoring equipment meant more sewage spills were also being detected.

The details of how many "spills" from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) happened in Wales in 2020 come from Welsh Water itself, and campaigners said they accepted the firm was "far better" than other companies in the industry on transparency.

The company told the programme it did not accept its sites were operating illegally.

"We continue to invest significantly in our network so that we minimise the impact of our activities on the environment," said a Welsh Water official.

"However, these solutions and processes can sometimes take many years to resolve in order to fully investigate, design solutions, and secure funding."

The water firm said it was spending £42m in a five-year programme to upgrade its storm overflow network, with £19m being spent on 300 treatment works to ensure they were monitored and met permit conditions.

But Afonydd Cymru, the umbrella body representing six river trusts across Wales, said it was pressing Welsh Water on the issue, following the Panorama investigation.

"Have we got a complete failure in terms of regulatory enforcement on CSOs?" asked the body's chief executive Gail Davies-Walsh.

Official figures from Welsh Water show there were 106,094 discharges from its CSO sites in 2020.

In total, the combined time sewers and treatment workers were spilling untreated effluent into rivers reached 872,976 hours.

One treatment works at Coed y Cwm in Rhondda Cynon Taf was discharging into the River Taff for 2,959 hours during the year, in what was termed 180 "significant spill" incidents.

Another nearby works at Cilfynydd near Pontypridd was also sending sewage into the river for a total of 2,877 hours, in another 162 spill incidents.

Parts of north Wales fared even worse.

The Llanfestiniog treatment works in Gwynedd was discharging sewage for 4,375 hours into a stream feeding the Afon Cynfal during the year, with monitors recording 346 spill incidents.

Combined storm or sewer overflows (CSOs) play an essential role in stopping sewage from backing up into homes and businesses when it pours down or threatens to flood.

They usually release storm waters into rivers or the sea.

There are about 3,000 CSOs across the 23,000 miles (3700km) of sewer networks in Wales.

Welsh Water said each one, along with more than 800 waste waterworks, are all tightly regulated by Natural Resources Wales and operate under strict permit conditions.

It also said it was important to recognise climate change has brought more frequent extreme weather events to Wales, with 2020 named the third wettest winter on record since 1910.

Gail Davies-Walsh at Afonydd Cymru said the overall discharge figures for Wales were "massive".

"Am I surprised? Not really. We unfortunately knew they were of this scale," she said.

"But we have to be careful here. That is the number of spills. The question I am asking Welsh Water to answer is: 'Of that number - how many are outside their permits?"

Welsh Water said its operations are "highly regulated and closely monitored" by the Welsh government's environment authority, Natural Resources Wales.

"Whilst CSOs are mainly operating as designed and permitted, we do recognise that more needs to be done," added a spokesman.

"However, this requires significant additional funding and development of infrastructure and will take many years to deliver."

The operator said it had installed an additional 1,000 spill monitors at overflow sites since 2017, covering more than 90% of its CSOs.

"This is a crucial first step so that we can identify and understand the scale of the issues we need to address," they added.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Welsh rivers had 100,000 sewage spills in a year

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Raw sewage was dumped into Welsh rivers more than 100,000 times last year - for almost 900,000 hours. The discharges happened across more than 2,000 water treatment works and sewer overflows across the Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water network in 2020. But the not-for-profit operator has insisted it is working to meet all environmental regulations.

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"I want to stand by the river in my finest dress. I want to sing, strong & hard, & stomp my feet with a hundred others so that the waters hum with our happiness. I want to dance for the renewal of the world." Robin Wall Kimmerer - Braiding Sweetgrass

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FOE Pontypridd

Great @DwrCymru have #climatechange action plan but what is being done to protect the #rightofriver to be free from pollution? Direct sewage discharge cannot be future plan for storm water. River Taff still suffering from sewage debris from 2020 floods

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Welsh Water has revealed that climate change continues to impact on how it delivers essential services throughout Wales and in Herefordshire, and that it will continue to decarbonise its operations on its 'Journey to Zero by 2040' in the global fight against climate change.
This follows the recent IPCC report which revealed a 'code red for humanity'; that the UK is already undergoing disruptive climate change with increased rainfall, sunshine and temperatures. Welsh Government declared a climate change emergency in 2019 and this year, formed its first climate change ministry, who Welsh Water are keen to continue to work closely with on the Team Wales effort.

Welsh Water, which announced its net zero by 2040 target in June, has witnessed first-hand the extreme impacts of climate change, and has spent the past decade combatting the effects through cutting its own emissions, becoming more energy efficient and investing in innovation. With Wales obtaining its first ever amber heat warning in July, the drought in 2018 and Storm Dennis in 2020, these changes are having a significant impact on the water and wastewater infrastructure.

The not-for-profit water company is part of what has always been an energy intensive industry to deliver essential services and it faces a significant challenge in decarbonising.
Welsh Water is determined to take bold action and to minimise its own emissions and has already made great strides towards net zero emissions, with ambitious targets for the future:

2021: Welsh Water now generates 23% of its own energy needs through wind, hydro, solar and advance anaerobic digestion (AAD) with the rest procured from 100% renewable energy resources.

2025: It will invest a further £21 million to become 35% energy self-sufficient by 2025.

2030: It will reduce total carbon emissions by 90%

2050: It will become 100% energy self-sufficient - or energy neutral.

Welsh Water has partnerships with a large number of global experts and academic institutions as part of its 'iLab' innovation process, as well as links through this process to businesses and Universities in Wales. Over the next five years £50m is being invested in research and on new innovation to face long term challenges. Much of this is targeted at the adoption of low carbon technologies. Between now and 2040, the company will also continue to deliver nature-based solutions through its biodiversity plan, tree planting, peatland restoration, wetland treatment and catchment management to both enhance the environment and capture carbon.

Planning and adapting services for the long-term is an essential part of the strategy. As the planet continues to warm, climate change will bring with it more extreme weather such as heatwaves and floods. Welsh Water is preparing assets and services for the changes and impacts to the supply chain that such weather events bring, including its innovative Rainscape sustainable drainage project in Llanelli and Gowerton, a £115 million investment, which aims to make communities more resilient to flooding.

In 2018, the majority of Llanelli escaped flooding during Storm Callum, thanks to Welsh Water's RainScape work. Without RainScape, it was likely more than 100 homes would have been flooded.
Peter Perry, CEO of Welsh Water said:

"Climate change is an existential danger to future generations, and some of the changes are irreversible. This is a global fight, which requires bold action. As Wales's not-for-profit water company, this is about us leading the way and taking responsibility for managing the biggest challenge of our time, focusing on the long-term and ensuring we help protect our customers, communities and the wider environment while doing the right thing for generations to come.

We know that our customers care about climate change and back stronger action to combat it, we need to collaborate with partners, experts, customers and communities to find new solutions and work in different, innovative ways."

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Welsh Water Takes Firm Action to Tackle Climate Change - Business News Wales

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Welsh Water has revealed that climate change continues to impact on how it delivers essential services throughout Wales and in Herefordshire, and that it will continue to decarbonise its operations on its 'Journey to Zero by 2040' in the global fight against climate change.

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No Japanese knotweed