Towards zero drownings: building a future where everyone in England can be safe in, on and around the water: England’s Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030

This is the first Water Safety England (WSE) Drowning Prevention Strategy but it relates to the earlier National Water Safety Forum UK Drowning Prevention Strategy (2016–2026) and addresses the long-standing and preventable cause of death that is drowning.

The impact of drowning has been felt in homes, schools, workplaces, emergency services and communities for many years. The thousands of years of life lost each year to drowning in England represent a disaster that must be confronted. This strategy does this by considering how – through data that guide and optimise, education that informs, and communications and campaigns that promulgate and promote water safety behaviours – we can prevent as many drownings as possible. WSE is structured to enable these functions and undertake this task.

This strategy is founded on the data-based understanding of the causes of drowning in England. This information has been used to determine the aims and actions, in terms of projects, that are proposed. These projects are comprehensive and ambitious, which they need to be if we are to make a significant impact on this notoriously intractable problem. The aims and projects presented set an agenda that the members of WSE can tackle collaboratively and with mutual, coordinated support. WSE recognises that no organisation can prevent drowning alone and a key role of WSE is to bring people and organisations together, support consistent practice and focus collective effort where it can have the greatest impact. This aligns with the growing global recognition that drowning prevention requires coordinated, evidence-informed and sustained action.

The overwhelming mandate received by this strategy during the public consultation demonstrated strong support for a more coordinated approach in England and gives us great confidence that we are setting sail in the correct direction. Importantly, it also indicates that the debilitating impact drowning has on our society is being recognised much more widely and there is a real appetite to
deal with it.

This strategy is a call to action for national organisations, local partnerships, government, landowners, educators, emergency services, communities and families to help people stay safe in, on and around water. It is also a strategy that will be used: it will focus and direct our effort in the years to come with the sole intention of reducing drownings in England. Drowning has too often been seen as inevitable, isolated or too difficult to prevent. It is none of those things. With the right evidence, leadership, partnerships and commitment, more lives will be saved.