Water for Life

Water for Life, the Water White Paper, describes a vision for future water management in which the water sector is resilient, in which water companies are more efficient and customer focused, and in which water is valued as the precious and finite resource it is. And it explains that we all have a part to play in the realisation of this vision.

• Water White Paper

Our departmental priorities laid down in Defra’s Structural Business Plan include:

• helping to enhance the environment and biodiversity to improve quality of life
• enhancing and protecting the natural environment – including biodiversity and the marine environment – by reducing pollution and preventing habitat loss and degradation
• supporting a strong and sustainable green economy, resilient to climate change
• encouraging businesses, people and communities to manage and use natural resources in a sustainable manner and to reduce waste
• working to ensure that the UK economy is resilient to climate change

Our priority areas of work include:

• the Natural Environment White Paper
• managing flooding
• pursuing the zero waste agenda
• reforming the water industry to enhance competition and improve conservation
• driving sustainable public sector practice across government

Recent publications

• Defra response to the Independent review of the evidence process for selecting marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

• 2011 Summary report for UK bathing waters

• Flood risk and insurance: A roadmap to 2013 and beyond

• Sewage Treatment in the UK

• Water for life – market reform proposals

• The independent review of charging for household water and sewerage services (Walker review)

All environment publications