Drought reaches parts of Yorkshire – and river levels still falling
Drive along the M62 from Huddersfield to Manchester and you will see a number of shimmering silver pools of water. On bleak winter days roaring past them at 70 miles an hour they can be slate grey and forbidding reflecting the barren landscape. They are the quintessential signature of the South Pennines. They are also one key contribution from this “green lung” surrounded by urban conurbations to the towns and cities of West Yorkshire and Lancashire. This year they are increasingly revealing their lower depth for want of rain.
We are currently working with Pennine Prospects the organisation responsible for pulling together a Local Nature Partnership for this area. The work is fascinating if not a little complex in terms of boundaries. It asks us to think hard about the relationships between economy, political boundaries and natural geographies. It also provides a forum for local organisations to start a wider debate about issues like water catchment and the impact of drought on local sustainability.
I don’t have a clear sense of the particular role LNPs might have in future in addressing issues like local droughts but it may be more significant than many of us might think. If you don’t know anything about LNPs – they will cover the whole of England – it is worth finding out what is going on in your patch. I might be able to help if you get stuck.