Wildlife is being put at risk due to water wastage placing increased pressure on the current drought in parts of England, environmentalists have warned.

Although the country is facing a water shortage due to climate change and two dry winters, the RSPB has said in a new report that the situation is being made worse by 'leaking pipes, water-greedy housing and over zealous land drainage'.

As such the organisation is calling for more water-efficient practices and has been backed by a number of high profile organisations.

Phil Burston, the RSPB's water policy officer and author of the report, said: 'Managing water in this sane way could prevent the need for costly and environmentally damaging new infrastructure and reduce the overall environmental impact of supplying us with water.'

The report highlights how huge areas of wetland that were prevalent in England 400 years ago are now an 'over-drained and increasingly desiccated shadow of [their] former glory'.

To improve the situation, the report advises that water is reused and recycled in all areas of society, homes have higher water efficiency standards, steps are taken to reduce leaks and more money is given to farmers to help them manage their land in a more water-sensitive way.

Wildlife is said to be increasingly under threat, as wetland birds are facing a declined breeding habitat and lack the kind of invertebrates they need to survive and rear their young.

Song thrushes and tree sparrows are also thought to be in decline due to dry soil conditions.

A reduction in wetlands also affects other mammals such as bats, water voles and amphibians.

Land drainage into the increasingly shallow rivers is resulting in a concentration of pollutants and nutrients, which in turn is starving fish of oxygen and killing large numbers.

The affect of water wastage can also be seen on the landscape, the RSPB warns, as shallow-rooted beech trees are threatened, dry moors are at risk from fires, peat bogs become desiccated, flower-rich water meadows dry out and plants on the south's chalk downlands are parched and scorched.

Mr Burston added: 'While we may not be able to prevent natural drought, we can reduce its impacts on wildlife and the environment by transforming the way we manage water.

'A world that treats water in this holistic way will be a more drought resistant world.'

The report has been backed by organisations including the WWF, the National Trust and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.