Yr Afon Taf, the Taff River, is a key visual and geographical feature for the towns, villages and city that lie on its path to the sea.

Starting at Cefn Coed y Cymer, it follows a route for 67km until it enters the sea at Cardiff. Along the way it passes through habitations that resonate with the culture and history of Wales; Merthyr, Aberfan, Pontypridd, Ffynon Taf, Llandaf, Butetown and Tiger Bay.

Kate Strong and Dr Numair Masud know this route intimately; they have walked its length in their efforts to promote a world record attempt for the most participants in a river clean-up. 

The project, called Taff Tidy, is engaging widely along the route, with three separate river-cleaning sites (Merthyr, Pontypridd and Cardiff), and three core pillars:

• Behavioural change
• Growth mindset
• Collective action

These pillars correlate to components of the Inner Development Goals, a framework that NICW worked with in 2023.

The project is working closely with schools along the route, supporting the co-authoring of a book containing letters, stories and poems; an excellent example of involvement, and of Future Generations activity.

Nature on the Board

NICW has incorporated Yr Afon Taf into our work; it was featured in our vision for a flood-resilient Wales in 2050 as one of the characters for the different scenarios developed for the project. The inclusion of a geographical feature within our work is unusual within Welsh policy. However it was no accident; our recommendations to Welsh Government on the ways to make impacts of flooding less severe in Wales by 2050 include one to incorporate nature into decision-making.

On the face of it there are a number of challenges with elevating the role of nature into corporate or public bodies. However it’s been done; the ‘Nature on the Board’ initiative, championed by Simeon Rose on behalf of Faith in Nature, demonstrates that it is not just workable but has a framework that can be readily replicated elsewhere.

Our theory, shared by Simeon and others in the sector, is that nature can only meaningfully be integrated into discussions and decisions when it has a human representative. We look forward to seeing whether these initiatives result in meaningful change for those organisations forward-looking enough to implement them.

Long-term climate risks

The Taff is also a close neighbour to Grangetown, a vibrant community that NICW is working with as part of our ‘Year 3’ project to better understand how people engage with discussions, ideas and communication about very long term climate risks.

Working with the School of International Futures (SOIF) and local grass roots organisations we are co-designing a participatory process that seeks to involve diverse voices from all sections of the community; people who are often left out of the big questions that affect our futures, and whose contributions to solutions and decision making may be overlooked. 

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly apparent, it is important that citizens and communities feel empowered and educated about nature’s role in reducing the impact of flooding and other weather-related events. Wales will only thrive if nature thrives, and that work requires huge efforts of engagement, encouragement and support for our communities. 

The Taff Tidy initiative is an ambitious attempt to raise awareness about the importance of the health of our rivers – the arteries of our ecosystem. Taff Tidy is also showcasing initiatives to involve thousands of people in practical action which will make a difference and leave a legacy of a healthier river with greater public support. 

Sign up to participate on 21 March 2025; you may see some of our Commissioners there on the day!