FULLY BOOKED – London Rivers Week 2024: Make London a ‘sponge city’ panel event

Time and date: Monday 24th Jun 2024 6pm – 7:30pm
Location: At The Gallery – 70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ

Register here: https://cpre-london.eventcube.io/events/60231/make-london-a-sponge-city/

Join us for a special London Rivers Week CPRE London panel event on the urgent need for new wetland areas and rain gardens in London, for river health .. and much more.

There is an urgent need to deliver healthy rivers by creating major new wetlands and rain gardens (which capture rainwater running off from roads).

These ‘SUDS’ (Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes) support river health by reducing sewage overflow incidents and by filtering out dangerous pollutants contained in ‘road run-off’ (rainwater running off roads).

CPRE London is calling on local authorities to work with relevant parties to organise emergency rain garden construction. There is a need for sustainable urban drainage needs assessments as standard when roadworks and streetscapes are being updated of the need for rain garden creation.  We need a massive acceleration in their creation to support both flood risk reduction and improvements in water quality.

River health is also promoted by wetlands, particularly large wetlands, in other ways: they slow the flow through catchments making river hydrology less aggressive, benefit the ecology, and, from a climate resilience perspective, they also provide cooling.

Thames Water estimates we need to capture rain water from 7,000 hectares of hard (impermeable) surface. That means we have to install a huge quantity of wetlands and on-street rain gardens.

Recent calls for London to become a ‘sponge city’, and concern from the Government’s Chief Medical adviser that water quality is now a public health issue, only underline that action is needed right now. It cannot be delayed!

Wetlands and rain gardens are part of the solution. Find out what’s happening in London to deliver these ‘nature-based solutions’.

Learn more at this event which will include networking opportunities for people interested in this important issue.

Speakers will include:

• Alice Roberts, Head of Campaigns, CPRE London 
• John Bryden, Head of Improving Rivers, Thames21 
• Joe Pecorelli, Programme Manager, ZSL (Zoological Society of London)
• Chaired by Anna Taylor, CPRE London
• Facilitator Dave Webb – River Partnerships in London

Please note this call for action on making London a sponge city is backed by the More Natural Capital Coalition – a coalition of 20 charities working together across London to advance environmental goals in the capital.