Water is the lifeblood of our planet. But in Aotearoa New Zealand, a staggering two-thirds of the rivers monitored for water quality are classified as unswimmable. Only 2% of large lakes are deemed to be in “good health”.
Unfortunately, this decline is due to the human impacts of urbanisation, intensive agriculture and poor land management. Many communities that depend on freshwater sources have witnessed this deterioration firsthand.
