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I ddarllen y blog yma yn y Gymraeg, cliciwch yma os gwelwch yn dda.

In the UK we’re very lucky for not having to think too hard about where our water comes from – it appears from taps, showers and in plastic bottles. We know that it comes from nature, but many of us don’t know or don’t think about how the water we consume has an impact on nature. The truth is where our water comes from, how we use it and where it goes afterwards, has a huge effect on the wildlife and landscapes we love.

Water companies in both Wales and England are major players in what happens to our environment. They invest over £8bn each year on behalf of their customers (that’s all of us!) and have a critical role in making sure we have healthy rivers; clean beaches and coastal waters; safe drinking water; less wastage; reduced flooding and thriving wildlife.

The catch is they will only do it if we all tell them to. So we had better tell them..

This year, the water companies in England and Wales sit down to draft their future investment plans for 2020-2025. This is known as the ‘Price Review 19’ or ‘PR19’. They are doing so at a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty for the environment, the economy, and for society, as the UK exits the European Union. We must make sure that the environment does not become a casualty of confusion at this crucial time and that their plans will deliver for both people and nature.

Ben Hall, rspb-images

The first ever Blueprint for PR19 in Wales

Wales Environment Link (WEL) is a network of environmental, countryside and heritage Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Wales, representing over 36,000 volunteers and 283,000 members and supporters. Twenty-eight of these environmental NGOs are behind the ‘Blueprint for PR19 in Wales’ campaign, including RSPB Cymru, WWF, the Wildlife Trusts, and Afonydd Cymru. These organisations have come together to speak with one voice on water issues in Wales and to amplify your voices to water companies to save nature.

On 18 May 2017 Wales Environment Link will launch the first ever Blueprint for PR19 in Wales. The Welsh ‘Blueprint for PR19’ is a document with recommendations from all twenty eight NGOs, which aims to influence the content of upcoming water company business plans (PR19) to ensure that they deliver for people and for nature. It underlines five areas for action:

-       Protect and restore water catchments from source to sea

-       Stop pollution of our waters

-       A step change for biodiversity

-       Use water wisely and price water fairly

-       Keep our rivers flowing and wetlands wet

RSPB Cymru signed up to the Blueprint because we recognise that as providers of clean water and land managers, water companies have the ability to contribute to reversing declines in nature. Furthermore, the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 imposes a legal duty on water companies that wholly or mainly operate in Wales to maintain and enhance biodiversity through their activities and, in so doing, promote the resilience of ecosystems. We want to ensure that this is reflected in their business plans and that any action for biodiversity is joined up with the Welsh Government’s Nature Recovery Plan to help meet our international commitments to enhance biodiversity.

We certainly have our work cut out with the 2016 State of Nature report[i] finding that 13% of the UK’s freshwater and wetland species are currently at risk of extinction and only 37% of water bodies in Wales currently achieving 'good ecological status'[ii]. But when we work together, nothing is impossible.

Eleanor Bentall, rspb-images.com

Want to get involved? Raise your voice for nature this summer.

When Wales Environment Link (WEL) host their launch event for the Blueprint for PR19 in Wales (18 May 2017), we will invite all of you to join us in speaking up for nature. You can get involved in our social media campaign over the summer and tell water companies to prioritise nature in their business plans. Just keep an eye on the We Love Wales blog and on twitter @RSPBCymru for more details on how you can take action.

The water companies will be engaging with stakeholders and customers over the next year to ensure their plans align with customer interests and priorities. Check your water company’s website to see how you can engage directly and feel free to share or use the ‘Blueprint for PR19’ document for Wales, which will be available online as of 18 May. If you are unsure who your water company are this map can help you identify your provider http://www.water.org.uk/consumers/find-your-supplier. If you want to find out how your company is performing, and how it compares with other companies, then take a look at this great new website www.discoverwater.co.uk.

We passionately believe that a healthy natural environment is at the heart of a resilient and successful water industry: an industry that can meet the needs of current and future customers, and cope with the challenges we face such as climate change and population growth. Now is the time for action. Have your say this summer and help us ensure that water companies’ next business plans are good for people and good for the environment.

Stay tuned for how you can act in May 2017 @RSPBCymru and on the We Love Wales blog.