Policy paper

Catchment Based Approach: Improving the quality of our water environment

A policy framework to encourage the wider adoption of an integrated Catchment Based Approach to improving the quality of our water environment.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Documents

Catchment Based Approach: Improving the quality of our water environment

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

In March 2011, the government announced that it would fundamentally review its river basin planning strategy in the context of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), with a new focus on institutional arrangements and processes. The pilot phase of the Catchment Based Approach aimed to provide a clear understanding of the issues in the catchment, to involve local communities in decision-making.

This policy framework - informed by the pilot phase - will establish catchment partnerships to work collaboratively with local stakeholders across all of England’s 83 catchments. The aim is to deliver improved water quality and more ambitious River Basin Management Plans that contribute to meeting our targets under the European Framework Directive.

Published 3 June 2013