The UK River Summit 2024
“The doors may have closed on The UK River Summit 2024, but the conversations that have begun as a result of this event are open-ended. With such a diverse range of environmental stakeholders having stood together under one roof, on an independent platform, and in an engaging and unique atmosphere, there is now a concrete trajectory for tangible change for our rivers. The UK River Summit brought together the stone throwers and there are definitely ripples of change in the water now.”
These are the words of Claire Zambuni, Founder of The UK River Summit & Festival, our event which this year offered interested parties the opportunity to learn, question, and build relationships while also finding time to celebrate our rivers, engage in community-led initiatives, and experiences based on the River Wandle – a unique urban chalk stream intertwining a rich historical past with current ecological importance.
In its 2nd year running, the event was set at Morden Hall, London, on 21st May 2024. The UK River Summit provided a platform for collaboration and communication on the current issues and solutions required to improve the health of our rivers and was attended by over 250 people from environmentalists, policy makers, regulators, campaigners, anglers, media, film makers, artists, celebrities, comedians, businesses, politicians and members of the public, all of whom share a desire to work towards a more positive future for our rivers.
Panel discussions included “It’s not all about sewage”, “The Freshwater Emergency: from scarcity to abundance”, “Future of Farming”, “Effecting Policy in Rivers”, a cross-party discussion on water security for the future with leading politicians and “The History of the River Wandle” talk with Dr Jack Hogan to be viewed online soon.
All in all, The UK River Summit 2024 has, as Claire says, opened the door for essential change on our UK Rivers. We are building on this movement, with our next official event taking place at Morden Hall on 8th July 2025, and we look forward to seeing some quantifiable results in the meantime and in the future.
Last but not least, we are so grateful to our event partners for their support in making The UK River Summit 2024 such a successful event. With special thanks to Filson, The National Trust, Proteus Instruments, South East Rivers Trust, Fish Legal, Orvis UK, River Action UK, The Rivers Trust, Surfers Against Sewage, The Wandle Piscators, The Wandle Industrial Museum, YETI, Delivita, Lakedown Brewing Co., and Abel & Cole.
Image credit: Lucy Young Photos