The UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 

Towards zero drownings: building a future in which everyone in the UK can be safe in, on and around water

The UK is an island nation with more than 68.5 million residents with access to some of the world’s best inland and coastal waters. Sadly however, each year more than 600 people lose their lives to a water-related fatality. 

Over the last decade, the NWSF and its partners have been working, in many cases voluntarily, to develop important initiatives to prevent drownings, including the release of the first ever UK Drowning Prevention Strategy. A recent review provided insights into many of these successful initiatives, including guidance on the creation of water safety partnerships, immersive swim programmes, free education resources for schools, guidance for the management of water safety, and establishing and promoting national campaigns such as Respect The Water.

The coordinated efforts of the NWSF and its partners have managed to prevent an ongoing increase in drowning deaths in the UK, despite increasing pressures from a growing population, climate change and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which have led to more people engaging in outdoor water-based recreation across the nation’s coastal and inland waterways. More must therefore be done to ensure a reduction in water-related deaths.

The UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030

This strategy succeeds the first UK Drowning Prevention Strategy (2016–2026). It differs in that it does not provide specific actions or targets. Instead, it serves as a “guiding-principles” document, providing a broad strategy with agreed principles for each of the UK nations to adopt and to tailor implementation.

• Data and evidence: Accurate, complete data with relevant knowledge and experience are fundamental to informing effective and optimised preventative practice that helps to keep people safe around UK waterways.
• Education: Equipping people with knowledge, skills and experience in water safety, swimming, water competency and related technical aspects will contribute to their safety in, on and around the water.
• Communication: The promotion of water safety-awareness campaigns and advocacy will help drive forward and disseminate critical drowning prevention advice and behaviours.
• Policy: Facilitating collaboration between government, landowners and other responsible parties to ensure proactive management of risks in and around water.

Read the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 

The National Drowning Prevention Strategies

The mission of the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy set out the key principles for preventing drowning, that can be used to inform consistent and complementary strategies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each nation has developed its own Drowning Prevention Strategy, identifying key areas of focus that pertain to their own individual risks and concerns. 

England's Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030	Scotland's Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030	Wales's Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030	Northern Ireland's Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2030
Aligned to the NWSF’s UK-wide approach, England’s Drowning Prevention Strategy is designed to turn the ambition of "towards zero drownings" into practical action. It aims to strengthening collaboration, improve consistency and focus effort where it can have the greatest impact, supporting those with responsibility for managing water-related risk. Aims include improving access to water safety education; understanding how climate change and extreme weather impact drowning risks; strengthening data, evidence and insight; and working with and supporting the many families and communities affected by drowning,	To achieve its vision of Towards zero drownings: building a future where everyone in Scotland can be safe in, on and around the water, Water Safety Scotland will focus on seven strategic aims: ensure water-related fatality data are collected and used to inform prevention activities; strengthen water safety education across Scotland; all local authorities and major landowners should have an active water safety policy; increase public awareness of water-related risks and ensure consistent, innovative and high-impact water safety messaging; strengthen inter-agency communication, capability and collaboration in water-related SAR; strengthen collaborative action to prevent suicide at water.	Drowning is a growing issue in Wales. On average, one person dies each week in a water-related incident, while emergency services respond to around six water-related incidents every day. Wales’ Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026–2030 sets out how partners will work together to reduce this harm through seven key aims: keeping those affected by drowning at the heart of prevention; improving data on water incidents; ensuring every child receives water safety education and can swim; strengthening local partnerships; responding to changing weather patterns and emerging risks; promoting the safe enjoyment of open water; and contributing to the reduction of water-related suicide.	The publication of Northern Ireland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy marks a significant milestone as the first approach to preventing water related incidents across the region. It recognises that our spectacular coastline and waterways provide immense benefits for residents and visitors alike. However, these environments can present significant risks, and the strategy aims to help people enjoy the water safely, whether taking part in recreational activities or spending time near it. By working together through this strategy, we can collectively help ensure everyone stays safe in, on and around the water.

Data

The following documents outline the data used to inform the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-2023 and the four national drowning prevention strategies. 

UK Drowning Prevention Strategy - Annex 1 Data Tables

England's Drowning Prevention Strategy - Annex 1 Data Tables

Scotland's Drowning Prevention Strategy - Annex 1 Data Tables

Wales' Drowning Prevention Strategy - Annex 1 Data Tables

Northern Ireland's Drowning Prevention Strategy - Annex 1 Data Tables 

Review of progress

Since the launch of the UK's first Drowning Prevention Strategy, we have conducted regular reviews into our progress. These reports outline some of the excellent results and efforts made in pursuing the five key targets set out in the strategy. 

UK DPS Review 2024/25 - A future without drowning 

UK Drowning Prevention Strategy Two Year Review

UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2016-2026

Water Safety Partnerships in the UK

One of the key aims of the first UK Drowning Prevention Strategy was that "every community with water risks should have a community-level risk assessment and water safety plan". To help build a picture of what this looks like, the NWSF are tracking existing water safety groups and their alignment with the current NWSF guidance on water safety partnerships. 

View the dashboard