Head Office Press Office - 6-Feb-2007 - Investment in flood defences should rise substantially to keep up with climate change is the message that the Environment Agency Board will hear and discuss when they meet in Bristol on Wednesday 7 February.

"The new international scientific assessment leaves no reason for doubt or fudging about climate change - it’s real and happening now," Chairman of the Environment Agency, Sir John Harman said.

"We need to invest more in adapting to climate change and defending communities against flooding. If we leave vulnerable communities undefended, they end up paying the price in damage to property and risk to life and limb. It’s cheaper and better to invest in flood defences rather than deal with cost and misery."

The government has a good record in increasing flood defence expenditure, but the Environment Agency stressed the need for a sustained long-term increase in investment.

The major assessment of flood risk, climate change and investment by the Foresight programme, Future Flooding, defined the need for "a compound increase in flood management expenditure of between £10 million and £30 million per year… So, for example, in 20 years, the annual expenditure would be between £700 million and £1.1 billion, compared to £500 million today". Spending on river and coastal flooding in England and Wales was just over £438 million in 2005-6.

Pointing out that the flood defence schemes built by the Environment Agency reduce expected future flood damage by at least six times more than they cost and often far more, Sir John Harman added:

"Analysis of the economics shows that the flood defences we build are terrific value for money. But it also means there are dozens of flood defence schemes that we don’t have the resources to undertake that would reduce damage by many times more than they cost.

Calling for a 20 year investment programme for flood defences that would keep pace with climate change, the Environment Agency highlighted the importance of adapting to inevitable and unavoidable climate change while we intensify efforts to reduce emissions. Flood risk will increase through sea-level rise, greater winter rainfall, more intense and prolonged downpours with hardening and drying of surfaces aggravating the risk.

"We must be relentless in reducing carbon emissions to prevent destabilisation of the climate, but we must also prepare to face the inevitable climate change that is already built in over the next few decades. We should see flood defence as critical national infrastructure in a climate changing world, and plan for it," Sir John Harman said.

The Environment Agency emphasised that increasing investment on flood defences is not about imposing additional burdens on the public, but about reducing the overall costs that managing flood risk imposes on the economy and wider society. By using resources more cost-effectively to prevent flood damage, rather than pay for repairs and clearing up, investment in flood defence a better deal for society.

Commenting on the financial situation, Sir John Harman said: "Our budget for flood defences will increase in the next year financial year and we are pleased about that. Looking further ahead, we want to see a sustained increase in investment in flood risk management and measures to adapt to climate change."

The Environment Agency Board will meet on Wednesday 7th February 2007, from 10.30am to 3.30, at the Conference Hall in the Council House, Bristol City Council, College Green, Bristol and is open to the public. The agenda can be discussed with Environment Agency Chairman Sir John Harman and board members between 9.30am and 10.15am in Committee Room 1.

North East must adapt to the impacts of climate change

Alexandra Wales - 5-Feb-2007 - Measures must be taken now in the River Wear area to minimise the impacts that buildings, infrastructure and society will face from future climate change, according to a study that will be launched at a conference next week.

Delegates will be told that by recognising the effects of climate change they can make small, pre-emptive and cost effective changes to their business, saving themselves expensive adaptation measures in years to come.

The study will be unveiled at the River Wear Climate Change Conference at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Thursday 15 February.

Peter Kerr, project manager at the Environment Agency said: “This event aims to provoke thought and debate about the effect climate change on business and infrastructure in the Wear catchment.

“With the forecasts set out by the study we can work with local authorities and businesses to plan the best approach to tackle the effects of climate change.”

Adaptation measures will need to be taken into consideration for flood defences, coastal defences, drainage systems, modern and historical buildings, water resources, transport, energy and communications networks.

More frequent flooding will mean many of today’s drainage systems cannot cope. Electricity power lines in vulnerable locations will be damaged by increasing wind speeds, as well as the television and radio transmitters at Burnhope and Stanleg.

Road surfaces will melt in hot conditions, which will also cause problems for the rail tracks on the Metro network. Increased flooding will cause damage to road and rail bridges.

The Environment Agency commissioned the climate change study in 2006. Royal Haskoning, Newcastle University, transportation consultants JMP and the Met Office all contributed to the study, which has been funded by the Northumbria Regional Flood Defence Committee.

The aim of the study is to forecast climate changes across the Wear catchment by the 2050s, and the impact on buildings, infrastructure and vulnerable members of society.

The study also says that by 2050, extreme hot summer temperatures will lead to severe health effects in the elderly and vulnerable. In the winter months, there will be a 50 per cent reduction in snowfall, and rainfall will increase by 20 per cent.

The year 2050 will also bring an increase in sea levels, tidal surges and wave energy along the coastline.

The study is the first in the UK to address issues relating to changing climatic effects on an entire river catchment and introduces recommendations for proactive management.

Speakers at next week’s conference include Adrian Hilton, the regional climate change co-ordinator at Government Office North East, Nick Cooper of Royal Haskoning, Jim Gillon, sustainability co-ordinator at Sunderland City Council and Trai Anfield, BBC Look North’s weather presenter.

The Climate Change adaptation on the Wear conference takes place on Thursday 15 February at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland from 9.00am till 1.00pm. Businesses wishing to attend the free event should contact Siobhán Leslie on siobhan.leslie@environment-agency.gov.uk to secure a place.