Rivers 2040

Rivers 2040 is an exciting new project to map the benefits of river restoration

Rivers 2040 is an 18-month project from The Wildlife Trusts, Trent Rivers Trust and RSA Insurance that will map and analyse the economic, environmental and societal benefits of restoring nature along England's longest river from source to sea - the River Trent.

The analysis will mean partners can create:

1. a transformational vision for the future of the River Trent
2. a blueprint for restoring all rivers in England for the first time

Like many rivers, the Trent is a shadow of what it once was: its floodplains have been built on, its wildlife much diminished and the climate crisis is taking its toll. In the UK, no blueprint has ever been created before to show how to improve a whole river system at this scale. We now have an opportunity to create a new future for this once great river. 

We need bold action that provides clean water for people and habitat for wildlife, stores water for periods of drought, and protects homes and businesses from flooding.

A collaborative project

The project is a collaboration between Trent Rivers Trust and eight Wildlife Trusts. Travelling downstream, these Wildlife Trusts are:

• Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust
• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
• Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
• Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
• Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
• Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust
• Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Read the full Rivers 2040 Report now

Nature's recovery needs to be at the heart of the solution

We face persistent issues along our rivers. After years of improvement projects, river pollution is still increasing. Lack of investment into fixing our often Victorian plumbing systems and increasing agricultural pollution are contributing to this problem. Drought and flood are becoming more common as climate change gets worse. 

Yet, in places along our rivers, we can glimpse a different future. In this future, the rivers and its floodplain feel wilder. Home to water voles, kingfishers, beavers and otters, its this very wildness that helps us to resolve issues such as pollution, drought and flooding. 

More than that, wildlife restoration drives economic development as more people enjoy and visit our rivers and more people want to live near our rivers. For those that already live and work near the river, this restoration makes for a better quality of life. 

This programme will look at what might happen if we took that approach along the whole river, from source to sea. 

The vision will focus on several areas:

• Natural Flood Management
• Drought mitigation
• Bringing back keystone species, for example beavers
• Pollution reduction
• Access to nature
• Policy and planning

The aim of Rivers 2040 

Our goal is to achieve beautiful, wilder river landscapes that allow communities to have access to nature on their doorsteps, support food production and industry and have natural processes reinstated. 
 

How the project will work

Through GIS mapping and economic modelling, we will understand and visualise opportunities for the River Trent. We will map the existing and potential ecosystem services, such as water storage, carbon sequestration and recreation.

We will identify the best locations for:

• Agriculture and fisheries
• Flood risk management
• Improving and enabling people's access to nature
• Aggregate extraction followed by habitat restoration
• Creating and improving green and blue infrastructure
• Protecting existing landscapes and wildlife habitats and improving connectivity
• Bringing back keystone species

The timeline of the project 

The vision for the River Trent will be produced towards the end of 2026. But this is just the start. After the creation of a vision to restore the floodplains by 2040, and blueprint to achieve this, the work to restore natural processes across the UK's major river catchments will begin. 

The Rivers 2040: The Great River Re-set 

A new report from The Wildlife Trusts, Trent Rivers Trust, and Intact Insurance, sets out how we can restore England's rivers by working with nature. 

Focusing on the River Trent, the vision explores how restoring the river from source to sea could deliver an estimated £10 billion in economic benefits over 30 years. That’s potentially more than £7 in benefits for every £1 invested. 

Read the full findings and vision

and

Explore the interactive summary

A River Speaks (The Film)

Healthier rivers can help reduce flood risk, improve water quality, create space for wildlife and support thriving communities. But achieving this means working together across entire river catchments and putting nature at the heart of river recovery. And that’s not all. 

At 7.30pm on Wednesday 14th October 2026, we’ll also be launching A River Speaks, a new film narrated by Vicky McClure, exploring our connections with rivers and what’s possible when we work with nature rather than against it.

Watch 'A River Speaks' on Youtube

Our immersive new film A Rivers Speaks gives a voice to our special rivers. Starring Line of Duty actor Vicky McClure as The River, the film follows the River Trent from source to sea, showcasing the conservationists, farmers, schoolchildren and communities working to restore its health and reconnect people with the river.

Thank you!

Finally, we want to say a huge well done to our wetland and river restoration teams at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust who work every day to make our rivers better for wildlife and people. Our Tame Valley Wetland team in the north of the county have been busy looking after the wonderful, watery landscape in the heart of the Midlands. Our Sherbourne Valley Project team are celebrating and re-connecting communities to the great River Sherbourne that flows through and under the city of Coventry. And last, but not least, our River and Catchment Restoration team who deliver habitat creation and restoration across Warwickshire on a number of externally funded projects and with a large range of stakeholders.

Let's get going

The Wildlife Trusts are now making this vision a reality. To achieve the scale of change needed, we must accelerate investment into high-quality, investable projects that deliver multiple benefits for nature, climate, communities and the economy. Through catchment-scale partnerships, we can unlock the funding, collaboration and long-term commitment required to drive nature's recovery and build the resilience our rivers, landscapes and communities urgently need.