About

The Northumbria river basin district covers an area of 9,000km2 , extending from the Scottish border in the north through Northumbria to Stockton-upon-Tees in the south. It includes parts of Cumbria to the west and extends to North Sea to the east. The district includes Holy Island and the Farne Islands. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the region, mainly in the areas of Tyne and Wear and the Tees Valley. The major urban centres of the district are Newcastle and Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The Northumbria river basin district has a particularly rich diversity of wildlife and habitats, supporting many species of global and national importance. The management catchments that make up the river basin district include many interconnected rivers, lakes, groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters. These range from industrial urban areas in the east to the moors, hills and valleys of the Pennines in the west. Around 67% of the river basin district is farmed or used for forestry, with a mixture of arable and livestock production including sheep, and on higher ground moorland, management for grouse and forestry. The main industries are chemical, petrochemicals, food, drink, transport equipment and metal sectors. Although agriculture only makes up a small part of the regional economy it is critical element of the rural economy.