Swimming in urban waterways across the world should be a right, say campaigners

Swimmers make the most of the good weather at the inaugural Swimmable Cities summit in Rotterdam. Photograph: Jan de Groen

Swimming in urban waterways should be a right, activists have said, as an international alliance aims to persuade politicians to clean up rivers so they can be used safely by their citizens.

At the world’s first Swimmable Cities summit in Rotterdam, more than 200 representatives from more than 20 countries gathered and plunged into the water.