Bristol is aiming to become the UK’s first Wetland City through an ambitious five-year programme led by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). More than 200 projects are planned, including restoring ponds, rivers and brooks and creating new wetlands to help tackle flooding, improve water quality and support wildlife.
More than 200 wetland projects are planned for Bristol in the first part of an ambitious programme to help cities combat the impacts of climate breakdown.
AN ambitious partnership led by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is supporting Bristol on a journey to become the UK’s first Wetland City, putting nature at the heart of community life by creating new and restoring existing wetlands and integrating them into city infrastructure to make neighbourhoods more resilient to the impacts of extreme weather and climate breakdown.
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Urban communities are home to more than 80% of the UK’s population and face unique challenges. According to the European Commission Joint Research Centre, city centres are up to 6°c hotter than surrounding areas during heatwaves. Meanwhile, neighbourhoods are experiencing flooding, with data from Aviva’s Building Future Communities report showing that in 2025 almost one in three homes in Bristol was at risk of the most common forms of flooding – river, coastal, or surface water.
WWT chief executive Sarah Fowler said: “We are already seeing how rising temperatures and increased flooding devastate communities and livelihoods. Bristol has a long history with water, but like so many cities, it is struggling under the pressure of the changing climate.
“But solutions exist where we make space for nature, cooling our cities and making urban areas less vulnerable to drought. Wetlands can buffer us from flooding, purify polluted water sources, boost our moods, and provide a vital home for wildlife. And they’re closer than you think.”
The five-year Wetland Cities programme is being led by WWT, in partnership with Aviva as the principal funding partner. With support from Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority, WWT will enable more than 200 different projects ranging from restoring ponds in urban parks, rivers and brooks to create havens for wildlife and improve water quality, to creating new mini wetlands that capture and redirect rainwater to help reduce flooding.
Sarah continued: “As the UK’s wetland charity, we are constantly championing a future with wetlands at the core of city planning and decision-making and at the top of the local political agenda, so we are so thrilled to be working with partners and dedicated local community groups to build on the incredible work already being done to unlock the value of wetlands in Bristol. Together we’ll be restoring formerly lost wetlands, and creating new ones, particularly in communities where they can provide the greatest benefits, to build the city’s resilience and, hopefully, provide a springboard for more cities to follow suit.”
For more information, visit wwt.org.uk/wetland-cities
