Sandra Laville

A new UK movement of eco-poetry by Black, Asian and Caribbean diaspora writers is challenging the traditionally white and Western nature-poetry canon amid climate and biodiversity crises. The anthology Nature Matters, co-edited by Mona Arshi and Karen McCarthy Woolf, grew from Arshi’s viral question about the absence of Black and Asian nature writers and is now being used in schools and universities. Contributors and scholars argue that the collection broadens ideas of who can belong in the countryside and reframes nature poetry around colonial history, identity, access and environmental destruction.

Swimmers and their pets have been warned to stay out of the Thames at Ham, London’s first official Thames bathing site, after toxic blue-green algae was detected. The bloom is linked to extreme heat, low river flow and nutrient pollution from sewage. The discovery has intensified opposition to Thames Water’s £250m plan to abstract water near Teddington during droughts and replace it with 75 million litres of treated sewage daily. Campaigners and local opponents say the scheme could worsen river temperatures and harm biodiversity, while Thames Water says it would meet environmental standards and discharge downstream of the bathing site. The company is also under investigation after breaches at its Hogsmill sewage treatment works and delays to planned upgrades.

The UK recorded a provisional 38.1C at Kew Gardens, its hottest day of 2026 so far, as a fifth summer heatwave peaked across Europe. France and Spain recorded temperatures above 40C, while wildfires, drought and record-low river flows disrupted communities, agriculture and power generation. The UK issued amber heat warnings, with fires damaging homes and drought affecting most of England and all of Wales. Low Danube water levels forced nuclear plants in Romania and Hungary to reduce or halt output. Health services also faced record demand, with heat contributing to excess deaths and putting NHS and care staff under severe pressure. Officials and experts linked the increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves to human-driven climate change, while Ofwat approved additional water-company spending to address supply pressures.

England’s plans to build 1.5 million homes are being threatened by severe drought, scarce water resources and inadequate infrastructure, particularly in the south and east. Councils in Hampshire, Kent, Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire say existing water supplies and sewage systems cannot support the government’s increased housing targets without major investment. Over-extraction is damaging fenlands and chalk streams, while promised projects such as the Surrey Hills pipeline, a new reservoir and a Cambridgeshire water-credit scheme remain delayed or unimplemented. Local leaders, environmental groups and opposition politicians argue that development must be staggered until sustainable supplies are secured. The government insists that its water-delivery taskforce, efficiency measures and new infrastructure will prevent water capacity from constraining housebuilding.

Climate scientists from the Tyndall Centre and the University of Manchester have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reject new North Sea drilling at the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields. They argue that approval would contradict his previous Greater Manchester climate commitments, Labour’s pledge not to issue new oil and gas licences, and the UK’s international obligations. The warning comes amid extreme heat and wildfires, with the scientists saying global emissions must fall by almost 8% annually to remain within even the Paris Agreement’s 2°C limit.

Research by the Right to Roam campaign found that 71% of riverbanks along main rivers and tributaries in 89 English catchments lack adjoining public access within 100 metres, while 96% of rivers in England and Wales have no defined statutory right to the water itself. Campaigners are urging Environment Secretary Angela Eagle to consult on a right of responsible access to land and water, particularly as heatwaves increase demand for free places to cool off. Regional access varies widely, from 90% of riverbank being inaccessible in the Severn Middle Shropshire catchment to 49% in the New Forest. Campaigners also criticised the government’s promised national river walks, saying the first route along the Mersey has created no additional access, while the government points to wider nature-access projects including nine river walks and the King Charles III England coast path.

Natural Resources Wales has declared drought status in north Wales and the Upper Severn after record-low river flows, prolonged heatwaves, minimal rainfall and widespread wildfires. The affected areas have received less than 2% of expected July rainfall, while July is on course to be Wales’s driest month in nearly 200 years, threatening rivers, wildlife, fisheries, farming and sensitive habitats. Parts of England are also experiencing prolonged dry weather, with hosepipe bans affecting millions and farmers beginning harvests early amid expected lower cereal yields. Experts warn that climate change will make UK summers hotter and drier, increasing pressure for major improvements in water management and resilience.

Miatta Fahnbulleh’s appointment as UK energy secretary signals continuity with Ed Miliband’s decarbonisation agenda as she confronts imminent decisions on the Jackdaw and Rosebank North Sea oil and gas fields. Environmental groups pressure her to block new drilling, aligning with her record at the New Economics Foundation advocating a full halt to fossil fuel expansion. Supporters highlight her expertise in climate-focused economics and her long-standing commitment to social justice. As a key figure in the Burnham cabinet, she faces political tension from the right and parts of Labour while being judged on her ability to steer the UK’s energy transition amid escalating climate impacts.

Former Southern Water chief executive Matthew Wright and three former employees—Philip Barker, Clive Massey and Mark Gregory—will face trial over allegations that they created artificial “no-flow” events and manipulated wastewater testing between 2012 and 2017. The Environment Agency alleges the scheme helped Southern Water avoid roughly £45m or more in penalties, while the company also faces charges for environmental permit breaches. The High Court has rejected Wright’s challenge to the agency’s authority to prosecute, clearing the way for a September trial at Medway magistrates court. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle condemned pollution cover-ups and said the government intends to end operator self-monitoring.

Research mapping tree cover around schools in England found that private schools have 41% more nearby tree cover than state schools. Among state schools, those with the highest proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals had 29% less tree cover than schools in the most affluent group. The disparities were especially pronounced between deprived areas such as Blackpool, Bradford and Luton and wealthier areas including Wokingham, Richmond and Hampshire. Experts say trees provide crucial cooling, improve air quality and support wellbeing during increasingly frequent heatwaves, and call for tree planting to prioritize schools and communities with the least canopy. Plymouth City Council and the government cited existing planting programs and funding intended to expand urban tree cover.

The UK government’s long-awaited plan to restore nature in England by 2030 relies heavily on voluntary action by private landowners and identifies land covering about 32% of England as potentially eligible for the international 30by30 target. Government analysis shows only 7% currently meets the criteria, prompting the RSPB and environmental campaigners to call the strategy inadequate because it creates no clear plan or timeline for new protected sites. The Church of England is separately considering a motion to rewild 30% of its land, but faces opposition from officials who cite legal duties and long-term financial returns. Supporters argue that nature restoration is both an ecological and moral obligation, while the dispute highlights the wider challenge of concentrated land ownership and limited public control over conservation.

Integration of the Merlin bird identification app with the global eBird database will allow real‑time crowdsourced bird observations to support biodiversity monitoring and conservation. The app, which identifies birds through machine‑learning analysis of birdsong, has millions of users and will soon enable direct upload of recordings to eBird. Scientists highlight the potential for richer population data while noting risks from occasional misidentifications. Conservation groups welcome the tool’s ability to connect more people with nature, though data‑quality challenges remain as acoustic monitoring expands.

Britain has lost about 73 million wild birds over the past 50 years, dramatically reducing the volume and variety of its dawn chorus. A Guardian audio reconstruction compares bird abundance from the 1970s with the present, illustrating steep declines in house sparrows, starlings and other familiar species. Habitat loss from development, intensive agriculture, pesticides, pollution and climate change are identified as major causes, while diseases such as Usutu virus and trichomonosis pose additional threats. Experts warn that younger generations are adapting to a degraded ecological baseline, although tools such as the Merlin Bird ID app are helping people reconnect with and monitor nature. Further action by governments, businesses and individuals is needed to restore habitats and prevent the continuing loss of birdsong.

Record-breaking June temperatures in England were driven by an intense late‑month heatwave that triggered the UK’s first three‑day red extreme heat warning. Met Office data showed England experienced its hottest June on record and the UK its second warmest since 1884, with unusually warm nights and temperatures far above seasonal averages. Scientists linked the event to human‑driven climate change, warning of increasing frequency and severity of heatwaves and associated risks to health, infrastructure and essential services. Additional analysis estimated more than 20,000 excess deaths across Europe during the same heatwave period.

A £75m four‑year national campaign called Let’s Save Water will urge people across the UK to cut daily water use by 28 litres in response to worsening shortages linked to climate change, population growth and water‑intensive industries. Backed by water companies, Ofwat, the Environment Agency, the Met Office and Natural Resources Wales, the initiative aims to shift public attitudes with behavioural science and practical advice such as shorter showers and water‑saving devices. Experts warn that England could face a 5bn‑litre daily shortfall by 2055, while leaks currently account for nearly a fifth of water demand. Public trust in water companies is low due to sewage pollution, outages and financial mismanagement, prompting calls for companies to lead by example and deliver infrastructure improvements, including new reservoirs. Environmental groups and lawmakers welcome efforts to encourage conservation but insist that meaningful corporate accountability and credible communication are essential to public cooperation.

Lawyer and environmental campaigner Paul Powlesland faces a possible prosecution by the Environment Agency after organizing River Roding Trust volunteers to remove litter, weed and silt from Alders Brook in Essex. The agency says the work may have involved unpermitted dredging and waste offences that created flood-risk concerns. Powlesland argues that the agency ignored years of pollution, illegal dumping and sewage discharges while targeting volunteers who removed 200 bags of rubbish. The Environment Agency says permits and expert oversight are necessary to prevent unintended environmental harm, while Thames Water maintains that its sewage outfalls operate within legally permitted limits.

A 25,000-tonne illegal waste dump beside homes and a primary school in Bickershaw has become a central issue in the Makerfield byelection. Residents say the rat-infested site, which burned for nine days and has caused severe smells and health concerns, illustrates the north-south divide and institutional failure. Although the government has agreed to fund an Environment Agency cleanup following campaigning by Labour MP Josh Simons and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, work has not begun. Burnham is presenting himself as the strongest advocate for residents, while Reform UK is using the dump to attack successive Conservative and Labour governments and call for tougher action against waste crime.

A report commissioned by wildlife and environmental groups warns that proposed exemptions from England’s biodiversity net gain rules could disproportionately reduce access to green space in the poorest communities. More than 7.4 million people already live in areas lacking immediate biodiversity, and small-site and brownfield exemptions could result in substantial biodiversity losses. Brownfield housing capacity is concentrated four times more heavily in the poorest fifth of England than in the richest fifth, while deprived neighbourhoods have far more restricted access to nature. The groups urge ministers to abandon the brownfield exemption and lock in the rules for five years. The government says it remains committed to biodiversity net gain and is consulting on targeted exemptions while pursuing accelerated housebuilding.

A Consumer Council for Water report found that South East Water’s biggest failure during winter outages was poor communication with customers. Fewer than one in 10 surveyed customers were satisfied with the company’s response to disruptions that affected about 24,000 customers around Tunbridge Wells in November and December and roughly 69,000 properties in January. A precautionary boil-water notice was issued after a water-quality failure at Pembury treatment works, while many vulnerable customers said they did not receive expected support. The findings emerged as South East Water faced further outages across Kent and Sussex, criticism from MPs and a potential £22m Ofwat fine for repeated supply failures.

Contractors working for Hill Group demolished Regent House near Dorking station during the peak swift nesting season, despite the building being a major local nesting site and an environmental assessment recommending that demolition occur outside the season or follow a detailed ecological inspection. Swifts were filmed repeatedly returning to the demolished building, while conservationists filed criminal complaints and criticized weak enforcement of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Clarion and Hill Group said works complied with approved planning requirements but declined to confirm whether an inspection had taken place. Mole Valley District Council is investigating and has issued a temporary stop notice. The incident has renewed calls for stronger protection of nesting holes, better wildlife-crime enforcement and mandatory swift bricks in new English homes.

South East Water has asked customers in Kent and Sussex to use water only for drinking, washing and cooking after record heat drove demand to about 670 million litres a day, nearly 100 million litres above average. Hundreds of homes experienced outages or low pressure, particularly in elevated or remote parts of the network. The company increased treatment output and used tanker deliveries but stopped short of imposing a compulsory hosepipe ban. Customers were urged to avoid hosepipes, sprinklers, jet washers, car washing and paddling pools, and to reuse household water where possible. The disruption has renewed concerns about the resilience of England’s water system, with peers warning that the UK could face daily shortfalls of 5 billion litres by 2055 without urgent action.

Campaigners from the Dartmoor Nature Alliance are calling for the area of temperate rainforest on Dartmoor to double, arguing that decades of livestock grazing have prevented ancient oak woodland from regenerating. The Duchy of Cornwall, which owns a third of the national park, has pledged to double the size of two woodland sites—Black-a-Tor and Wistman’s Wood—by the early 2040s. Government funding will support habitat restoration, while Natural England and the charity Moor Trees are protecting and cultivating young oaks. Wider restoration will require cooperation from around 200 commoners who hold grazing rights across the moor.