Does EA flood warning affect you?

The Environment Agency has warned that Britain’s flood planners must prepare for the worst on climate change, as its chairwoman, Emma Howard Boyd, said on current trends, global temperature could rise between 2C and 4C by 2100 and £billion a year would need to be spent on flood management, with some communities needing to move because of the risks of flooding. The report from the EA has said that rising seas will swamp homes, with hundreds of key sites in England at risk of floods and that more should be done to encourage property owners to rebuild homes after flooding in better locations rather than just “recycling what was there before”. The government said it will be seeking evidence for its own flood policy in the autumn. Ms Howard Boyd, launching the consultation on the agency’s flood strategy, said government policy should ensure that all publicly-funded infrastructure is resilient to flooding and coastal change by 2050. “We can’t win a war against water by building away climate change with infinitely high flood defences,” she said. The agency expects more intense bursts of rain and continuing coastal erosion. Ms Howard Boyd warned that climate change and population growth in England meant that properties built in the floodplain will double over the next 50 years. The agency points towards research from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership which suggests that losses on UK mortgages could also double if global temperatures increase by 2C and triple if warming hits 4C. These would be insurance-related losses related to outcomes of climate change such as more extreme weather. Ms Howard-Boyd said the government’s six-year flood programme had given flood and coastal protection “a shot in the arm”, but she warned that more will be needed. Environment Minister Therese Coffey said: “Flooding and coastal erosion can have terrible consequences for people, businesses and the environment. “That’s why we are already providing £2.6bn over six years, delivering more than 1,500 projects to better protect 300,000 homes.” But she added that “the threat of climate change will mean an increasing risk and preparing the country is a priority for the government, and the nation as a whole”. In a statement, Friends of the Earth said: “Smarter adaptation and resilience building – including natural flood management measures like tree-planting – is undeniably important. But the focus must be first and foremost on slashing emissions so that we can avoid the worst consequences of climate chaos in the first place.” Communities need to think about flood prevention and how solutions already on the market can protect their properties, such as the Marshalls CPM Redi-Rock™ flood walls that are designed and manufactured to suit a wide variety of flood water projects, as they are ideal for protecting commercial property and residential areas as well as larger infrastructure, highways, river ways and sea frontages. Ideal where space is scarce or areas where water may rise to unusual levels, the flood blocks are both fast and easy to install and available in three aesthetically pleasing finishes so blend perfectly into the local environment. As customer requirements are individual, so are the flood walls. They are designed to suit project specific size requirements by the Marshalls CPM Design team and are versatile enough to achieve height without compromising on strength.

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