Nature Pact in Peril: Zero Targets Met as COP17 Opens

Four years ago, countries signed a historic deal to save nature. So far, not a single target has been met. As negotiators gather for COP17, pressure is mounting to honor those promises. The stakes are visible in Britain's chalk rivers. In August, more than 3,000 fish — pike, roach, carp and rudd — were found dead along the River Wensum in Norwich. Some gasped for air in their final moments, starved of oxygen by heatwave conditions. Investigators believe heavy rainfall flushed high concentrations of pollution into the water while wildlife were already struggling. The 45-mile (70km) chalk river is one of about 250 in the country. These rivers are a geological accident almost unique to Britain — and one of Earth's rarest habitats. They flow from chalk aquifers and support species such as freshwater shrimp, otters and stoneflies. They also provide drinking water for millions of people. Yet just 11 have formal protection. Many are damaged by sewage pollution and overextraction. The Norfolk river is one of the few with legal protection, but it remains in poor ecological health.