Increasing Water Availability and Resilience

Overview

Water is essential for healthy rivers, thriving wildlife and resilient communities. But across the South East, water resources are under increasing pressure from climate change, population growth and rising demand. 

We work with farmers, landowners, businesses and partners to improve how water is stored, shared and used across entire catchments—helping to build long-term water resilience for both people and the environment. 

Why water resilience matters

The South East is one of the most water-stressed regions in the UK. Hotter, drier summers and more unpredictable rainfall mean: 

• Rivers can run low or dry, impacting wildlife 

• Farms face increasing pressure to irrigate crops 

• Groundwater supplies are stretched 

• Competition for water between people, agriculture and nature increases 

Without action, these pressures will continue to grow. 

That’s why we focus on catchment-scale solutions—working upstream and across landscapes to ensure water is available when and where it’s needed most. 

Our approach

We take a whole-catchment, evidence-led approach to water resilience, combining data, partnership working and practical solutions on the ground.

Understanding water availability

We use monitoring, modelling and local knowledge to understand: 

• Where water is available across a catchment 

• When shortages are most likely to occur 

• How water moves through rivers, soils and groundwater systems. 

We also collaborate with key stakeholders, including regional water resource planning organisations such as Water Resources South East (WRSE). This evidence helps us identify opportunities to improve water storage and use. 

Working with farmers and landowners

Farmers are on the frontline of water scarcity. We support them to: 

• Improve soil health to retain more water 

• Use water more efficiently 

• Explore sustainable and locally suitable water resource options 

• Plan for future water needs, preferably by working together  

• Raise awareness of changes in how water resources will be managed, allowing them to plan accordingly  

By working collaboratively, we help build resilient farm businesses while protecting rivers. 

Creating smarter water capture and storage

We support the development of sustainable water storage solutions, including: 

• On-farm reservoirs, ponds and lagoons  

• Rainwater capture systems 

• Nature-based storage such as wetlands, ponds and managing water levels in managed systems such as open watercourses  

These approaches help store water during wetter periods so it can be used during dry spells—reducing pressure on rivers when flows are low. 

 Enabling water sharing and collaboration

Water resilience is strongest when people work together. 

By raising awareness about initiatives such as local resource options exercises or forming water abstractor groups, we bring together farmers and stakeholders to: 

• Share water resources more efficiently 

• Coordinate abstraction to reduce environmental impact 

• Plan collectively to better face extreme conditions, from drought to excess rainfall  

This collaborative approach helps balance the needs of agriculture, communities and the environment. 

The difference we’re making 

By improving water availability and resilience, we are: 

• Supporting sustainable food production 

• Reducing pressure on rivers during dry periods 

• Helping wildlife and habitats to thrive 

• Building resilience to climate change 

• Strengthening collaboration across catchments 

Our work ensures that water is managed in a way that benefits people, rivers and nature—now and in the future.