INEWS
UK floods are set to become even worse in the coming years as government inaction and inadequate defences fail to protect the public from increasingly heavy rainfall, scientists warn.
The Environment Agency estimated on Sunday that more than 1,800 properties had flooded after the intense downpours brought by Storm Henk, with many more expected to be affected by Monday.
But in some future storms the devastation is likely to be much worse still as climate change intensifies rainstorms, making the country’s flood defences increasingly inadequate, scientists say.
At the same time, the steady replacement of softer agricultural ground with concrete surfaces by buildings, roads and other new developments means there are fewer surfaces to soak up heavy rainfall.
This is a particular problem in flood plains, where much of the new developments are built. And the Government is not doing nearly enough to protect the public, scientists say.
“All of the evidence points to the fact that flooding will be worse – particularly where we’ve got these heavy rainfalls,” Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at Reading University, told i.
“This is definitely a growing problem and one that we need to take very seriously or we’ll see more people suffer in the future.
“The Government is not doing nearly enough to keep people safe from floods in the future. We know it’s a problem, but all things to do with planning, infrastructure, providing early warnings to people so they can get out of the way of the flood or at least prepare for that flood to happen – all of those things need improving.
“There are some parts where something is being done but really it’s a drop in the ocean of what we need to be doing,” Professor Cloke said.
Baroness Brown, Chair of the Adaptation Committee of the government’s independent climate change advisor, the Climate Change Committee, added: “We are likely to see floods get worse in coming years in the UK because of more extreme weather; this will put further homes, businesses and infrastructure at risk.
“We are lagging behind in delivering resilience to this; recent events demonstrate why it is vital that the Government urgently prioritises and commits to a robust long-term vision for climate change adaptation,” she said.
Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, said: “The risk of flooding is increasing across the UK due to climate change, and will continue to worsen for the next few decades.
“We will have to adapt to this increasing risk by, for instance, building stronger and higher coastal and river flood defences, and better drainage in urban areas. In some areas it will not be possible to prevent flooding, so we will need to stop building in the highest risk areas, or adapt homes and businesses so that flood waters can enter and leave them without causing catastrophic damage.”
“The Government is increasing spending on flood defences, but it is clear from the assessment by the Climate Change Committee that far more action is required, particularly in tackling surface water flooding.”
An analysis of Environment Agency data obtained by Unearthed, the investigative arm of Greenpeace UK, in October showed that 4,204 of England’s most important flood defences were in a poor or very poor condition in 2022. This accounts for about one in 15 of the total.
These defences range from flood walls and embankments to outfall pipes and culverts. They protect property and lives in some of England’s most at–risk towns and cities.
