The National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) is a collaborative network of the UK’s leading experts in drowning prevention.
We serve to provide a collective voice for water safety organisations and practitioners across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, promoting key issues to government and communities through education, communication and data-driven research.
Strategy
The UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030 aims to build a future in which everyone in the UK can be safe in, on and around water. It sets out the key principles for working towards zero drownings, providing the framework for developing consistent and complementary drowning prevention work across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026–2030
Evidence and Data
The Water Incident Database (WAID) brings together water-related incident data from across the UK into a single comprehensive resource. Data is publicly available to access via an interactive report and through annual fatality reports, published each year in May.
The Water Incident Database (WAID)
Campaigns
The NWSF delivers original water safety campaigns under our public-facing Respect The Water brand, as well as supporting partner campaigns and global awareness campaigns like the World Health Organization’s World Drowning Prevention Day.
Managing Water Safety
The management of water safety is an important consideration for a number of stakeholders across the UK, including landowners, land managers and local authorities. The NWSF provides guidance to support with the management of water safety at a local level, including guidance on how to set up a Water Safety Partnership.
Managing water safety resources
Principles and Governance
The NWSF deals with a very wide range of water-related activities and risks to people, the environment, and economic activity. For a detailed overview of the core principles that govern our work, please see our: