Protecting Wales’ Countryside

Together, we are the Welsh countryside.
Let your love for it live on.

As Wales approaches the Senedd elections in May 2026, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) is setting out its priorities for the future of our countryside, its communities, landscapes and the natural environment.

This manifeso highlights the urgent actions needed to safeguard Wales’ natural heritage while supporting sustainable communities and a resilient economy.

Wales possesses a dazzling variety of landscapes linking our urban areas to the countryside and coasts, providing a nurturing environment for our people and their culture, as well as an extensive national asset attracting millions of visitors.

Farming is still the backbone of our rural communities, alongside newer industries such as tourism and renewable energy. Our famed network of footpaths girdles the country and has been expanded extensively. Protecting, as well as enjoying, our priceless environment has emerged as a key priority for successive Welsh Governments, especially as most of the legal powers to conserve our nature and landscapes were devolved more than 30 years ago.

However, the realities on the ground worry an increasing number of voters in Wales – notably the accelerating impacts of climate change, the needless destruction of beautiful local landscapes, pollution of our rivers and coastal waters, and the ongoing emergency facing our wild animals and plants in coping with climate change and other pressures.

Read the full manifesto in English here and Welsh here.