As part of the river basin characterisation process, we have assessed the pressures on water bodies and the risk of failing to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive by 2015.
These assessments do not reflect the current quality or status of a water body, and being 'at risk' does not mean that a water body has already failed its objectives, only that it might do so.
The risk assessments have been used to target monitoring programmes and to provide the evidence to help develop measures needed to deliver environmental objectives. This will help us to manage threats to the water environment before problems occur or restore water bodies if they are already impacted.
We have looked at five different categories of potential pressures:
- alien species;
- diffuse sources of pollution;
- point sources of pollution;
- water abstraction and flow regulation;
- physical or morphological alteration to the water body;
The results of the assessments are displayed through maps that show which water bodies are at risk of failing the Water Framework Directive objectives, see 'Pressures and risk results by water category'. Further information is in the River Basin Management Plans and in the 'What's in your backyard?' facility on the Environment Agency's website.
See 'Understanding the maps' for more information on how to interpret the maps.
