Britain’s canal network “is facing pressure it has never faced before,” said Charlie Norman, director of campaigns at the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), an independent charity advocating for the upkeep of the UK’s canals and rivers. “The entire canal network is vulnerable,” Norman added, pointing to the “increased effects of climate change” such as drought in the summer and heavy rain in the winter. Britain’s 200-year-old canal network was once the backbone of the country’s economic transformation during the Industrial Revolution, but is now crumbling, experts say. ‘Tough decisions’“There’s no disguising the fact that we do need more money to look after our canal network,” she told AFP. Now more than 35,000 boats are registered with the Canal & River Trust, plying the network to transport goods or just for pleasure.

Source: Bangkok Post February 11, 2026 08:54 UTC