The ancient highways of our land: restoring Wales’s rivers for a healthier, more vibrant society

Bethan Sayed – Climate Cymru

For Moira Williams, a passionate campaigner for the Save the Teifi River campaign, the divide between people and the natural world isn’t a distant problem—it’s a gaping chasm that has ripped through the very heart of our communities.

“There is a massive disconnect,” she says, “but it’s being reversed by community groups, not by big companies.”

Moira, an artist, has dedicated her work to that of reconnecting us with our landscapes.

She believes that big companies have a habit of viewing nature as a commodity—an entity to be exploited for what they can extract, rather than appreciating the vital, life-giving, and  interconnected web of our very existence.

Our rivers would not be in this state, she says, if we had cared more for the land and the habitats that sustain them.

From invisible pollution to shared solutions

The Save the Teifi River campaign was born in 2022 from a group of people heartbroken by the silent, visible decline in biodiversity.

But as they soon discovered, much of the issue is invisible. While the algae blooms—like the one that turned the Teifi a sickly green in the searing heat, mirroring a similar crisis in Northern Ireland’s Loch Neagh—are a clear sign of trouble, the silent culprits are often phosphates and nitrates from agricultural and sewage runoff.

These unseen pollutants are stealthily killing the life beneath the surface of our rivers.

This is where the undeniable power of community rises to meet the challenge. The campaign started in Cardigan and is now a rallying cry, working to extend its reach to the entire length of the river.

The group is running a citizen science project, with volunteers taking up the mantle to test the water along the river and its tributaries.

Their work feeds vital data to Natural Resources Wales (NRW), helping to pinpoint where the pollution is bleeding into our water and building an unassailable case for urgent, stronger action.

For Moira, a river is more than just a body of water—it’s a living, breathing reflection of our society’s health. She speaks powerfully about rivers as the “arteries and veins through our bodies” and the “waterways through our landscapes.”

We’ve grown so fixated on the roads that take us from A to B, but Moira challenges us to look at a different kind of map—a map of waterways that are the true, ancient highways of our land. Just as we cannot function without a healthy circulatory system, our communities cannot thrive without clean water, healthy land, and a vibrant, functioning ecosystem.

Bridging divides, building a movement

The campaign isn’t just about data collection; it’s about a leap into improved communication and collaboration.

A major focus has been building stronger bridges with the farming community. Moira says they are hoping to work with farmers in the near future to find shared solutions.

Farmers, she notes, are just trying to make a living. As Moira puts it, the slogan should be “no soil, no farmers, no food.” The land we create and nurture is the very foundation of our existence.

From local rivers to National action

Community efforts across Wales are a powerful force for change, but this energy needs to be lifted onto the national stage.

Neighbours, friends and local groups are already rolling up their sleeves to shape the future our children deserve. But communities can’t do it alone.

We need real support from our politicians and policymakers. The problems facing our rivers are connected to wider, systemic issues—the underfunding of NRW, the relentless pressure to produce cheap food, and a general lack of political will to prioritise the environment.

That’s where the Act Now, Change Forever mass lobby on September 17th comes in.

This is your chance to take your passion for your local community and bring it to the Senedd. It’s an opportunity for campaigners like Moira and communities over Wales to show our elected politicians that people don’t just care—they demand action. Your voice matters, and your story is a crucial, irreplaceable part of the shared solution.

Join hundreds of others from across Wales to send a clear, unequivocal message: we want urgent action for a healthier, fairer, and safer future Wales—now.

Register and join us on September 17th to ensure every voice is heard.