Every £1 invested in restoring rivers could generate over £7 in benefits for nature, communities and the economy, new analysis based on the River Trent has found.

The Rivers 2040 Vision, released today by The Wildlife Trusts, Trent Rivers Trust and Intact Insurance, has used the River Trent to analyse the benefits of restoring rivers and wetlands across England.

The vision assesses how restoring the entirety of the River Trent - England's longest river flowing from source to sea through Staffordshire and six other counties – could unlock significant economic, environmental and societal benefits.

It comes as rivers across England are in "dire health", with just 14 per cent of rivers currently meeting ecological health standards, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust says.

Chief Executive at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Julian Woolford, said: "We've already seen the remarkable benefits river restoration can bring in Staffordshire.

"Rivers 2040 provides a blueprint to scale up that success, restoring rivers for wildlife, communities and future generations."

The trust added that Staffordshire has become a "flagship example" of river restoration in action.

At the former Victoria Ground football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent - a site redeveloped for housing - Staffordshire Wildlife Trust relocated a 450-metre stretch of the River Trent and restored its natural features and processes.

As a result, a thriving green corridor at the heart of the community was created, and today, trout are breeding, kingfishers are hunting, and otters have returned.

Dr Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery at The Wildlife Trusts, says: "From scandalous pollution to increasing flood risk, we know that people right across the country care deeply about the health of our waterways and want to see an end to the cocktail of threats facing them.

"The scale of the challenge is huge, but our new vision for rivers is a call to arms; there is an enormous prize to be won if we get this right.

"As our mapping of the River Trent proves, we must work together across whole catchments – and the communities, businesses and local authorities within them – to embed nature-based solutions into the heart of river restoration efforts.

"Only then, with national and regional policy recognising that nature is necessary to the health of our waterways, can investment in river recovery truly deliver greater climate resilience, local prosperity and bring wildlife back to our waterways."

The vision includes a first-of-its-kind economic analysis that reveals the potential financial return from restoring the River Trent.

According to the analysis, an estimated investment of £43 million a year over the next 30 years could generate approximately £10 billion in economic benefits, with every £1 invested in nature-led river restoration potentially delivering more than £7 in benefits.

A spokesperson for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust said: "Yet, while the economic benefits of nature-led river restoration are staggering, current efforts remain fragmented and underfunded."

The trust says three key areas of change are needed to restore and recover the health of England's rivers: deploying nature-based solutions at scale; growing local control of water; and a long-term water strategy that recognises nature as critical infrastructure.

Chris Reid, deputy senior vice president at Intact Insurance, says: "As extreme weather becomes more frequent, we need to think differently about how we protect our communities.

"Restoring rivers, floodplains and wetlands can help manage water, reduce flood risk and make the places where people live and do business more resilient."

"The Rivers 2040 Vision shows what is possible when we restore and protect nature at scale. By working with The Wildlife Trusts, we are helping to create healthier rivers that are better able to adapt to a changing climate and build more resilient communities."

The Rivers 2040 Vision is released alongside A River Speaks, a new film voiced by Line of Duty actor Vicky McClure.

The film follows the River Trent from source to sea.

Premiering at the Blue Earth Summit today (Wednesday 14 October), the film showcases the conservationists, farmers, schoolchildren and communities working to restore and reconnect people to the Trent.

Read The Rivers 2040 Vision here and tune in for the premiere of A River Speaks on YouTube here: YouTube