The Our Rivers campaign is spearheaded by a coalition of the country’s leading NGOs - WWF, RSPB, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts. However , the strength of the campaign will come from its roots and the wealth of knowledge that exists within local river networks. The Northern Ireland sister campaign, which is driven locally by WWF Northern Ireland, RSPB in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Angling Federation and the Ballinderry River Enhancement Association, aims to focus attention on the rivers of Northern Ireland at a time when they need it most.

Currently, less than 30% of Northern Ireland's rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters meet European targets set for 2015 under the Water Framework Directive.

In January 2010, as the Water Framework Directive is further implemented, the fate of every river in Northern Ireland is sealed in one of 3 River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). These plans should set out necessary action to ensure water quality standards are achieved.

The draft and final River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) were criticised by leading NGOs not only for their significant lack of a clear plan to achieve EU targets but also for their impenetrability to all but a few with the time and resources to work through them. The upshot of this is that much of the local knowledge that exists about our rivers risks not being fed into the official process. Our Rivers is working to turn this around.

What you can do

NIEA are developing 26 Local Management Area Plans and the first will be finalised in 2010 and will set out how RBMPs will be delivered at a local level. These plans MUST be informed by the people who know their rivers best; the local groups and individuals living and working on them. That's where Our Rivers comes in!

The success of the Our Rivers campaign will rely on groups and individuals who know their rivers, taking action over the coming months. The Our Rivers website is designed to help you pull together what you already know about your river and help you use that information to maximum effect.

From feeding into the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Local Management Area Plans to making your concerns heard in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Our Rivers is making it simpler for you to stand up for your river. To STAND UP FOR YOUR RIVER, enter the name here.

Note: You can stand up for as many rivers as you want but you'll need to do it one at a time and you'll need a different email address for each.

Our Rivers is funded through the HSBC Climate Partnership