Rivers in the UK
The HSBC Climate Partnership is a groundbreaking, five-year partnership between HSBC and WWF, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. HSBC's US$100 million investment – the largest ever corporate donation to each of these four world-class environmental charities – aims to combat the urgent threat of climate change by inspiring action by individuals, businesses and governments worldwide.
As a member of the HSBC Climate Partnership, WWF has embarked on major freshwater projects in China, Brazil, India and the UK.
The Thames river basin is among the most developed on the planet. Already in crisis, the basin suffers from over-abstraction, flood risk, pollution and loss of natural resources. Climate change is increasing all these threats.
WWF will work on solutions to help our freshwater systems adapt to the impacts of climate change. We will help restore London's rivers and encourage local charities and community groups to play their part. We will also help build resilience to climate change in the Thames Estuary and become involved in the London Climate Change Partnership. What's more, we will strongly encourage robust implementation of the Thames River Basin Plan which seeks to meet new EU standards for water management, and help establish effective water management and river planning in a changing climate.
