The Environment Agency (EA) has launched a new flood and coastal management action plan that will see water companies and other infrastructure providers required to future-proof assets against the impacts of climate change.
In the report Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy Action Plan 2021, the agency said the water sector was “on track” for three specific measures as part of the overarching target of planning for flooding and coastal change by 2030.
The report noted that even if the government’s net zero target is reached by 2050, it is likely that we will experience 59 per cent more winter rainfall and once-a-century sea level events will become annual events by 2100.
In September 2020 the EA set out long-term ambitions to improve climate resilience, ensure current and future infrastructure is ready for rising temperatures and that the nation is ready to respond and adapt to flooding and coastal change.
For the water sector’s part, its goals were to work with other risk management authorities from 2020 to inform drainage and sewerage management plans to improve resilience to surface water and drainage flood risks. The report stated work is on track and will be assessed by May 2022 on how local authorities and the EA are contributing to drainage and wastewater management plans.
The EA’s strategy also bound water companies and other authorities responsible for protection against flooding to work collaboratively on long-term adaptive planning for flooding and coastal change in line with the next AMP and start of PR24. On this goal the EA said it will work with regional water resources groups and water companies to share best practice to inform water and wastewater investments.
Caroline Douglass, executive director, flood and coastal risk management at Environment Agency said: “It’s clear that the climate emergency is bringing more extreme weather and so we need to step up our efforts yet further to meet the rising flood and coastal erosion risk.” She called for collaboration between government, stakeholders and the agency to protect homes and businesses from flooding.