Imagine life without water

It's a mini water world

Cannon Hill Park in Edgbaston, Birmingham, was transformed into a mini waterworld as part of our unique festival, Water for Life. Staged on Sunday 7 June, the aim of the festival was to raise people’s awareness about the city’s rivers, the importance to us all of water quality, drought, flooding, angling and wildlife. It brought together hundreds of people of all ages reflecting the city's multi-ethnic, multifaith make-up. The family event was hosted by the Environment Agency, in partnership with Birmingham City Council, and BBC Breathing Places' Dirty Weekend. Exhibitors included environment, community, charity and faith organisations. The festival also featured stage performances, hosted by CBeebies’ Jelly and Detective Dan, including Indian drummers, Polish, Indian and African dancers, a Caribbean Steel band and a Chinese lion dance. Environment Agency staff were at hand to offer advice and guidance on the various areas of our work. We encouraged people to sign-up to Flood Warnings Direct, and engaged with diverse communities to obtain informal feedback around our Water Framework Directive consultation.