Foreword by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Foreword by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

In 2020, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation launched a new strategy, setting out our contribution to restoring our natural world, securing a fairer future, and strengthening the bonds in communities across the UK. Given the magnitude of the climate crisis and the critical state of nature, we wanted to better understand how we could use our role as a funder to make the biggest difference, and where our resources could be applied most effectively. Charitable foundations do not have the resources of government and industry. But we do have independence to focus quickly on where we can have the most impact. We can be flexible, take risks and test new ideas.

One area that very quickly emerged as a key focus was freshwater. Over 10% of wetland species in the UK are threatened with extinction and 90% of wetland habitats have been lost over the last 100 years. Society depends on clean water, but it is often not valued as highly as it should be. Pollution devastates wildlife, increases the cost of supplying drinking water and poses a risk to the health of recreational users. Parts of the country are facing severe water shortage, whilst others experience devastating flooding, exacerbated by the way river catchments are managed. We are seeing the effects of climate change now and things will get worse.

Yet we know that there are solutions and creative organisations seeking to deploy them. There are collaborations working across different sectors looking to drive change based on common interests.

Whilst we have supported great work on freshwater, we want to ensure that we use our resources as effectively as possible over the coming years. We worked with Cardiff University Water Research Institute to undertake a review of organisations working on freshwater across the UK, to get a better understanding of who is active, what the issues we need to make progress on are, and organisational and sectoral priorities. We want to understand the degree of consensus on the state of play, and on the opportunities for unlocking change.

Whilst we certainly hope that this report will help us to understand the role that we can play, not just as a funder and investor, but using all the tools we can. We also hope that this report will be helpful to the diverse range of individuals and organisations working to ensure a better future for freshwater and all the benefits that will come from that.

Simon Wightman

Funding Manager Esmée Fairbairn Foundation