Future For Water

Dave Wallace
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Water isn't a resource to manage - it's the living foundation of all we cherish. Rivers, lakes, seas, and the water we drink - they sustain life, spark joy, nurture communities, and connect us to something greater than ourselves. Protecting water can't happen through isolated efforts or occasional events. It requires something deeper - genuine relationships across divides, sustained partnerships, creative approaches that touch hearts as much as minds, and the patient work of weaving a movement. That's what Future for Water creates. Through this podcast, we aim to bring together people who rarely share the same space - water company leaders and wild swimmers, government ministers and citizen scientists, regulators and artists - not for staged dialogue, but for genuine collaboration that leads to new projects and a shared purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1. 20. Juli

    Can a River Have Rights? Monica Feria-Tinta on Using the Law to Protect Nature

    What would change if the law treated a river not as property or a resource, but as a living entity with rights of its own? In this episode, Dave and Claire speak with international barrister Monica Feria-Tinta, author of A Barrister for the Earth: Ten Cases of Hope for Our Future. Monica explains how environmental law is beginning to move beyond its traditional, human-centred perspective and recognise that rivers, forests and ecosystems possess an inherent right to exist, flourish and recover from harm. The conversation explores the influence of Indigenous knowledge, including Monica’s own Quechua heritage and a worldview in which humanity is not separate from nature. She discusses the growing rights of rivers movement in Britain, from the River Ouse and River Wye to emerging work along the River Severn, and considers whether these local initiatives could eventually influence the constitutional development of environmental rights across the UK. Monica also takes us inside landmark international cases. She explains how Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forest was protected from gold mining despite having no human population to represent it, and how Spain’s Mar Menor lagoon is now bringing a case in its own name before the European Court of Human Rights. Finally, the discussion turns to what communities and citizen scientists can do. Monica argues that water-quality testing, ecological monitoring, historical records and local knowledge can collectively establish the identity and needs of a river—and provide the foundations for legal action, restoration and a more democratic approach to environmental protection. In this episodeWhy Monica wrote A Barrister for the EarthHow international law can help enforce climate obligationsWhat it means for a river to possess legal rightsWhy companies can be legal persons while rivers remain legal objectsWhat Indigenous knowledge can teach industrialised societiesThe relationship between human health and the natural worldThe River Ouse Charter and Britain’s growing rights of rivers movementWhy the River Wye represents an important milestoneHow local communities and councils can change environmental governanceWhat Spain’s Mar Menor teaches us about legal personhoodHow rights of nature could help hold large corporations accountableThe successful campaign to protect Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forestWhy scientific and citizen-generated evidence mattersHow communities can turn local knowledge into legal and political action

    Can a River Have Rights? Monica Feria-Tinta on Using the Law to Protect Nature

  2. 12. Juni

    Can Britain Fix Its Broken Water System?

    Britain’s rivers are in crisis. Sewage pollution, failing infrastructure, rising bills and growing public anger have pushed water firmly into the national spotlight. But how did we get here? And, more importantly, how do we fix it? In this powerful and frank conversation, Dave Wallace and Claire Zambuni sit down with Ash Smith — one of the UK’s most influential grassroots campaigners fighting for cleaner rivers and accountability in the water industry. Ash shares the story behind the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP), reflects on the impact of Channel 4’s explosive drama-documentary Dirty Business, and explains why he believes the UK water system is fundamentally broken. The discussion explores everything from privatisation and regulation to political inertia, the economics of debt-laden water companies, and why grassroots citizen action may be the country’s best hope for change. At the heart of the conversation is a growing national movement asking a difficult question: Should water return to public ownership? Ash also explains WASP’s rapidly growing petition calling for a public referendum on water ownership — and why he believes the public deserves a direct say in the future of one of the country’s most essential services. This is an urgent, passionate and surprisingly hopeful conversation about accountability, activism and the power of ordinary people to drive change. In this episode we discuss: The origins of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution and why citizen science mattersThe real impact of Channel 4’s Dirty Business documentaryWhy public anger over sewage pollution continues to growThe hidden economics of privatised water companiesHow customer bills are being used to service debtWhy regulation has repeatedly failed to protect riversClaims of illegal pollution and underinvestment across the industryThe growing movement for public ownership of waterWhy grassroots river groups are succeeding where institutions struggleHow people can get involved and make a difference locally Fixing Britain’s water crisis will require more than outrage. It will take evidence, public pressure and communities willing to organise around something they care deeply about. As Ash puts it: Play to your strengths, stick to the truth and get involved. Resources & Links Watch Dirty Business on Channel 4Learn more about WASP and their workSign the petition calling for a referendum on water ownership (link in show notes) Listen & Subscribe If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate and share the podcast to help grow the conversation around the future of Britain’s rivers and water system. #FutureForWater #RiverPollution #WaterCrisis #SewageScandal #DirtyBusiness #RiverHealth #CitizenScience #Environment #WaterIndustry #ThamesWater #CleanWater #PublicHealth #WASP

    Can Britain Fix Its Broken Water System?

  3. 19. Mai

    Beneath the Surface: What Lives in Our Rivers (and What’s Killing It)

    In this episode, Dave and Claire are joined by freshwater filmmaker Mark (Beneath British Waters) Barrow, a man who has spent over 35 years documenting life beneath the surface of the UK’s rivers. What begins as a conversation about filmmaking quickly becomes something more urgent: a first-hand account of how dramatically our rivers have changed—and not for the better. Mark shares how his early experiences in the 1990s, surrounded by hundreds of fish in crystal-clear water, contrast starkly with today’s reality—where he now struggles to find life and increasingly finds himself filming pollution instead. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: A hidden world Why most people have no idea what actually lives beneath the surface of their local rivers—and why that matters.From abundance to decline Mark’s observations of disappearing fish populations, vanishing mayfly hatches, and the slow degradation of river ecosystems over decades.Pollution in all its forms Not just sewage, but chemical runoff, pharmaceuticals, road pollution, and even pet treatments—creating a toxic cocktail affecting aquatic life.The warning signs we’re ignoring How invertebrates act as the “canary in the coal mine” for river health—and why their disappearance is deeply concerning.Filming in extreme conditions From diving in polluted waters to capturing the shocking reality of sewage outflows—what it takes to document the truth.Henley and the River Thames A preview of a new micro-documentary exploring what lies beneath one of the UK’s most iconic stretches of river—connecting rowing heritage with underwater reality.Why storytelling matters How film can shift perception, inspire action, and make the invisible visible. Key Takeaways Rivers are not just recreational spaces—they are critical ecosystems supporting all life. The UK’s freshwater environments are under sustained pressure and, in many places, declining. Much of the damage is out of sight—and therefore out of mind. Restoring rivers requires a shift in perspective: from human use to ecological health first. “If that same amount of pollution was flowing down the street in Henley, there’d be an uproar. But because it’s in a river, it gets ignored.” Why This Episode Matters This is not an abstract environmental discussion. It’s a grounded, visual, and deeply human account of what’s happening to rivers across the UK—told by someone who has spent decades inside them. And it raises a simple but uncomfortable question: If we can’t see what’s happening beneath the surface, how can we expect to protect it? Follow & Share If this episode changes how you see rivers, share it. Because awareness is the first step towards restoring what we’re losing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Beneath the Surface: What Lives in Our Rivers (and What’s Killing It)

  4. 6. Mai

    Future For Water

    In this inaugural episode of the Future for Water podcast, Dave Wallace is joined by Claire Zambuni, founder of Future for Water, and Chris Szweda, environmental scientist and citizen scientist, to explore how a grassroots idea has evolved into a growing national movement. From an impromptu river festival in the Pyrenees to the UK River Summit and now the River Summit & Festival in Henley-on-Thames, this conversation traces the origin story, the momentum, and the deeper purpose behind bringing people together to rethink our relationship with water. Along the way, they unpack the role of citizen science, the power of collaboration, and why creating open, “safe” spaces for honest conversation may be the most important ingredient in driving real change. What You’ll HearThe origin story of Future for Water and the River SummitWhy water conversations have historically been fragmented — and how that’s changingThe rise of citizen science and its role in holding systems to accountInside the Testing the Waters Consortium and its growing impactHow data, technology, and even AI are changing how we understand river healthWhy Henley-on-Thames has become a focal point for this movementThe launch of the Future for Water Impact AwardsWhat happens when you bring activists, scientists, regulators, and communities into the same room  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Future For Water
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Water isn't a resource to manage - it's the living foundation of all we cherish. Rivers, lakes, seas, and the water we drink - they sustain life, spark joy, nurture communities, and connect us to something greater than ourselves. Protecting water can't happen through isolated efforts or occasional events. It requires something deeper - genuine relationships across divides, sustained partnerships, creative approaches that touch hearts as much as minds, and the patient work of weaving a movement. That's what Future for Water creates. Through this podcast, we aim to bring together people who rarely share the same space - water company leaders and wild swimmers, government ministers and citizen scientists, regulators and artists - not for staged dialogue, but for genuine collaboration that leads to new projects and a shared purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • Erstellt von
    Dave Wallace
  • Jahre aktiv
    2026
  • Folgen
    4
  • Bewertung
    Unbedenklich
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    © 2026 Dave Wallace
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    Future For Water
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