Thousands of people were engaged with water issues for this year’s Southern Counties Water Festival.

Events were held in Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent throughout June and July so young and old could learn about water and wildlife.

Last year saw the region experience one of the worst droughts in living memory and media attention was very firmly focussed on water efficiency.

This year the situation couldn’t be more different with some of the worst flooding in fifty years across large swathes of the UK.

Increased incidents of extreme events such as the 2004 - 2006 drought and the 2007 floods are entirely consistent with the predicted effects of climate change.

For this reason, Water for Wildlife UK, in co-operation with Water UK, the water industry trade body, and a number of regional partners including water companies, local authorities and wildlife trusts, committed to co-ordinating a Southern Counties Water Festival for 2007.

Water efficiency was still a major part of this year’s Southern Counties Water Festival, but the various events also promoted other avenues for engaging with water and wildlife issues.