ABSTRACT
The development of catchment management planning (CMP) for river in the Thames basin has been in response to a number of influences. At the strategic level, CMP can be considered to be a process which balances society's need for development with the need to conserve and enhance the river environment. Ideally, a CMP should encompass all the functions of the National Rivers Authority (NRA) as well as all the other influences on the river environment. CMP will evolve as experience grows in the NRA. This process may also be influenced by changes in the land-use planning system and European Commission legislation on the need to apply a form of environmental assessment to strategic plans produced by public bodies. CMP are recognized as an essential element for the successful achievement of a better water environment in England and Wales. The challenge is to make the process of catchment management planning an operational success.
