Shoring up our flood defences is a crucial priority for UK homes-November 2021

World leaders are gathering in Glasgow to bring new momentum to global efforts in tackling climate change and creating more resilient economies, and they will be covering key policy areas that must be addressed on an international scale.

It is the race to net zero emissions that has so far attracted the most attention and will likely dominate much of COP26, with busi­nesses and governments alike setting targets to reach this goal. Yet these discussions overlook a critical factor: the effects of climate change are already being experienced, with countless people living with its consequences at this very moment. We must now challenge the view that cli­mate change is a long-term problem, one to aspire to tackle in the future. The time to act is now – we have no time to waste.

The increasing frequency and severity of floods are clear evidence of this. Six of the wettest years in history have occurred since 1998, with an estimated one in six properties in England and Wales now at risk of flooding. It is the greatest natural disaster risk in the UK, and with the planet projected to become warmer and wetter, the situation will only worsen without urgent intervention, both in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

Commitments are of course needed to reduce emissions, but it is equally important to recognise that we cannot stop climate change altogether and must take steps now to adapt. Critically, this must include short-term measures that can be achieved as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.

The need for flood resilience measures

One example of this is flood-resilience measures in homes, such as airbrick cov­ers, raised electrical sockets and sealing brickwork. By installing these simple home improvements, we can ensure that at-risk households across the UK are better protected from the risks of flooding now and in the future.

This takes on more impor­tance when considering the need for new homes. As more and more are inevitably built on flood plains, intervention and incentives will be essen­tial to protect households from the trauma and cost of flooding. Flood Re’s Build Back Better proposals for the UK, which have government support, are designed to reduce the cost and impact of future floods by including property resilience measures as part of flood repairs.

We are also recommend­ing that this is taken a step further, with our plans for discounted premiums for households with property flood resilience (PFR) meas­ures in place. Not only will this support the market for such products and help change attitudes and behav­iours, it will also incentivise take-up of PFR. It is this investment that will help ensure the long-term avail­ability and affordability of flood insurance as the impact of climate change increases.

Green investment as a long-term priority

Government must also pri­oritise the maintenance of flood defences and consider ways to harness green invest­ment to manage future flood risk. Limiting risk requires continued investment in flood risk management, and recent government promises of capital funding for new defences are welcome. A longer-term commitment on funding now will help con­solidate this and provide certainty into the future.

The imminent spending review must also include adequate funds for mainte­nance. As the frequency and intensity of flooding increases, it is hugely impor­tant that these defences continue to be fit for purpose. Well-funded flood defences rarely breach, but mainte­nance is essential to ensure the protection they offer to homes and communities remains in place. Research confirms that this is cost effective to do so; every £1 spent on maintenance now saves £7 in spending on new defences.

Elsewhere, Flood Re is currently supporting a pilot project in Wyre in Lancashire to bring private investment into natural flood management through a spe­cial purpose vehicle (SPV). Working with a range of stakeholders, including the Rivers Trust and an invest­ment bank, the aim is to test where “at risk” communities and businesses can become buyers of natural flood man­agement ecosystem services, such as earth bunds, which slow the movement of water, creating dams and rewetting drained wetlands. This is just one example of measures designed to improve flood resilience and reduce the damage caused by flooding in the long term.

The project is a ten-year trial that will include the construction and ongoing maintenance of a natural flood management scheme, and will test the extent to which flood risk is reduced. We are advocating for a scal­able approach that can further unlock investment for natural flood manage­ment across the country.

It is a commitment to adapt to the growing climate crisis through aligned strategies that would be a pivotal outcome from COP26. The time to act is now.

Flood Re