Placeholder canvas
My Green Pod Logo

UK floods ‘no surprise’

New research shows UK government ‘shouldn’t have been surprised’ by winter floods
UK floods 'no surprise'

The UK is in urgent need of a national flood risk management strategy and devastating floods, such as those experienced in the north of England this winter, should not come as a surprise to the government.

These are the conclusions of a new policy paper published by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ignoring the ICCC

The paper, by Dr Swenja Surminski, has been submitted to the inquiry on the winter floods 2015-16 by the House of Commons Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dr Surminski’s written evidence points out that the government ignored calls last year from the independent Committee on Climate Change to create a national flood risk strategy on the grounds that it ‘would not be appropriate at this time’.

The evidence states, ‘The flooding that has occurred this winter now shows that decision was wrong, and that the government urgently needs to produce a national flood risk management strategy’.

The UK has experienced unprecedented rainfall in recent years and an increasing number of homes are at risk from flooding as a result of climate change.

The evidence notes, ‘According to the Met Office, six of the UK’s seven wettest years on record, and its eight warmest years, have occurred from 2000 onwards. The UK experienced its wettest and second wettest winters on record in 2013-14 and 2015-16, respectively. The heavy winter rainfall over the past few years may have been unprecedented, but it should not have been unexpected.’

Coastal and surface flooding

Dr Surminski’s evidence calls on the government’s National Flood Resilience Review, launched in December 2015, to consider the impact of coastal flooding and surface flooding, as well as river flooding.

‘It is important that the Review does not only consider river flooding, which was the cause of much of the damage during the exceptional rainfall this winter, but should also examine the UK’s resilience to coastal flooding and surface water flooding, both today and in the future.’

DR SWENJA SURMINSKI
Senior Research Fellow, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment

Dr Surminski also highlights her recent study which found that climate change and a high demand for housing are both likely to lead to a sharp increase in the number of properties at risk from surface water flooding.

’Invisible’ insurance

The study also concluded that the new Flood Re insurance scheme, due to start operating next month, will not reduce losses from flooding.

Dr Surminski argues that Flood Re could actually be detrimental to flood risk management as it does not encourage households to increase their resilience to flooding.

The evidence notes that Flood Re is ‘invisible’ to the households it covers, and recommends that households covered by the scheme should be made aware in their policy documentation that they are benefitting from subsidised insurance cover.

They should also be provided with information about their flood risk level and what measures are in place to protect them.

Click here to read the full submission to the inquiry on ‘Future flood prevention’ by the House of Commons Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Here's more related content

Sorry we don't have any suggested related content at the moment. Please check back later.

Join The Conversation

Leave a Reply

Here's More Ethical News News & Features

  • All
  • Antarctic
  • EU
  • Earth Day
  • Europe
  • Fairtrade
  • Spirits
  • Valentines
  • activism
  • activists
  • animal welfare
  • animals
  • banking
  • banks
  • beauty
  • biodiversity
  • birds
  • circular economy
  • cities
  • climate
  • climate action
  • climate justice
  • community
  • conflict
  • consumption
  • deforestation
  • diet
  • drinks
  • ecocide
  • economy
  • education
  • environment
  • equality
  • ethical business
  • extinction
  • farmers
  • farming
  • fish
  • food
  • forests
  • fossil fuels
  • funding
  • health
  • homes
  • housing
  • human rights
  • investment
  • investments
  • law
  • leadership
  • legal
  • lifestyle
  • litter
  • money
  • nature
  • oceans
  • organic
  • peace
  • pension
  • plastic
  • plastic pollution
  • policy
  • politics
  • pollution
  • recycling
  • resources
  • restoration
  • rivers
  • schools
  • science
  • skincare
  • species
  • sports
  • tech
  • tree planting
  • trees
  • war
  • waste
  • water
  • wildlife
  • women
  • work