A new national initiative led by Pond Conservation has been launched in a bid to reverse the long-term decline in the number of ponds in Britain, as well as to protect existing other freshwater.

The Million Ponds Project is supported by a number of other organisations and landowners, including Natural England, Defence Estates and the Forestry Commission, and aims to restore clean, wildlife-rich ponds to the UK's landscape. In the next four years, the initiative will see the creation of 5,000 new ponds, focused on 1,000 sites that will benefit freshwater plants and animal species listed in the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan that rely on ponds as a habitat.

According to Pond Conservation, the Countryside Survey 2007 revealed that only 8 per cent of British ponds are in good condition, with a 20 per cent decrease in the biological quality of lowland ponds between 1996 and 2007. Jeremy Biggs, Pond Conservation's director of policy and research, said: "Making ponds is the easiest and quickest way of getting clean water back into the landscape, which is vital for protecting our freshwater wildlife.

"It can take 20 years, and millions of pounds, to clean up one river but you can dig a pristine new pond in a weekend and it can last for a hundred years. The Million Ponds Project is the first to recognise this great opportunity." Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, added: "Ponds are miniature wildlife oases – if looked after, they can teem with underwater life, providing important feeding and breeding grounds for a wide range of species, and creating uniquely rich areas where children can learn about the natural environment."