The UK Government recently announced it was allocating a record £2.65 billion towards flood schemes across the country.
However, a report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) is still critical, calling the government’s flood risk management efforts “inadequate”.
Flood risks are growing across England
At a time when several major issues facing the country are battling for column inches, it’s clear that we need to talk about flooding.
According to the CCC report, 6.3 million properties in England are currently in at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, and surface water, and this could rise to one in four properties by 2050.
Key infrastructure is also vulnerable as over a third of railway and road kilometres are currently at flood risk, and this is predicted to rise to around half by 2050.
Extreme weather incidents brought on by climate change are not only economically damaging – potentially costing as much as 7% of the UK’s GDP by 2050 – but could have significant social impacts too, with community facilities, sports fields and nature reserves all threatened.
While the government is rightly investing in long-term carbon reduction and green energy strategies, it also needs to recognise that the impacts of climate change are already being felt.
So what is the solution?
The CCC is calling for a comprehensive, long-term flood management strategy. While short-term emergency responses remain crucial, these must be underpinned by long-term resilience-building and prevention strategies.
In some areas, that may necessitate investing in traditional hard-engineered flood defences. But increasingly, many believe any strategy should prioritise nature-based solutions (NBS) like reforestation, restoring wetlands, and reconnecting rivers with their floodplains. And regardless of the approach, these defences need to be built to last for a century, not just the five years of a parliament.
Local authorities should be empowered to prevent construction on floodplains and areas at high risk, and for flood management to be a central consideration in all planning decisions. And while the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill does tackle the issue of flooding, critics will point to this particular recommendation as evidence that the legislation does not go far enough.
Local flood groups also need funding and training to engage communities. Promoting the uptake of resilience measures (like flood doors and pumps) could go some way to protecting property in the event of flooding.
Crucially though, change needs to come from the top. Responsibility for flood prevention is fragmented across multiple agencies and levels of government. A coherent national strategy with clear leadership, adequate funding, and cross-sector coordination is essential to ensuring long term flood prevention that aligns with the UK’s net-zero and biodiversity goals.