UK water regulator, Ofwat, to be abolished

Ofwat is to be abolished and a new, single regulator to be established to cut water pollution in England’s rivers, lakes and seas, and protect families from massive bill hikes. The new regulator will take responsibility for water functions across Ofwat, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, in an effort to end complexity.

There are currently four separate regulators responsible for the water industry and the regulatory system is broken, said the UK Government. It added that a single, powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector will stand firmly on the side of customers, investors and the environment. Hopefully it will also attract billions of pounds of new investment. The proposals will be consulted on this autumn and form the basis of a new Water Reform Bill.

The UK Government has already begun rebuilding the entire water network through one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country’s history. A total of £104bn is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and build sewage treatment works across the country.

Meanwhile, the Independent Water Commission has undertaken the most comprehensive review of the water sector since privatisation. Its aim is to provide recommendations for a fundamental ‘reset’ of the water sector. A reset is needed to restore public confidence in the sector and its regulation, to attract the investment needed to clean up the waterways of England and Wales, and to establish a framework that will meet the water demands of the future.

Water UK – the water company membership body – said that everyone agrees the system has not been working. “Today is a major moment and this fundamental change has been long overdue. These recommendations should establish the foundations to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas,” it said.

“The Independent Water Commission has written a comprehensive, detailed review of the whole sector, with many wide-ranging and ambitious recommendations. We now need some time to consider the detail and understand the implications. Crucially, it is now up to Government to decide which recommendations it will adopt, and in what way, but the Commission’s work marks a significant step forward.”

June 15, 202526 July 2025

Wilful blindness: turning a blind eye to planetary insolvency

The global economy could face a 50% loss in GDP between 2070 and 2090 unless immediate policy action on risks posed by the climate crisis is taken. This is the stark warning set out in ‘Planetary Solvency – finding our balance with nature’ by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in collaboration with climate scientists.

June 05, 202526 July 2025

Planning for climate; planning for security

Severe climate impacts can come from nowhere. Their effects can cascade across society, and create a bigger problem than the sum of their individual parts. These impacts are similar to those resulting from pandemics or traditional security threats. That is why we need to plan for climate like we plan for security – at the national level, supranational level and across continents.

May 25, 202526 July 2025

Uzbekistan to modernise irrigation infra with World Bank support

The World Bank has approved a $200m concessional credit to support Uzbekistan in modernising its irrigation and drainage infrastructure and improving the quality of irrigation service delivery. The project aims to reduce water losses and increase the energy efficiency of irrigation systems across five regions of the country. The Government of Uzbekistan will provide $23.2m in co-financing.