physical
challenge
FlooD rISK
elling predicts there
h
e
r
e
Climate change mod
will be rises in peak river flows and sea
levels in the UK. Exacerbated by sinking
land in some areas, it seems likely we will
face more severe and frequent flooding.
Will we be ready to hold back the water?
The UK’s summer of 2007 was the communicate the threat and the options
wettest since records began, more than open to people.
240 years ago. Swathes of England and Disturbingly, the 2007 floods may be
Wales were paralysed by floods, leaving a sign of things to come. Government
48,000 homes and 7,000 businesses figures suggest peak river flows in
v
e
r
y
w
damaged. Motorways were closed, the UK could increase by up to 20 per
railways disrupted, and power and cent in the next two decades. If that
water supplies lost. happened, many of Britain’s flood
“The scale, damage and impact defences would be woefully inadequate.
of the flooding surprised me,” says “You can’t put any single event down
Sir Michael Pitt, who is leading a to climate change,” says David King,
government-commissioned review of the director of water management at the
flooding emergency. “It wasn’t only the UK’s Environment Agency. “But we are e
r
,
e
scale of the damage, but the emotional seeing hotter, drier summers and wetter
impact it had on residents, business winters. Each iteration in the science tells
owners and farmers – and the fact that, us that climate change is biting faster and
in many cases, buildings in high flood- harder than previously thought.” a
t
risk areas weren’t in any way resilient.”
Part of the problem, says Mike On the surface
Woolgar, Atkins’ director of water The expectation of bigger and more
management, is insufficient public frequent floods is forcing a reappraisal
understanding about flood risk. of protection measures. “Following
“Because flooding is a relatively rare the devastating floods that hit Carlisle
,
w
event for most people – even those in 2005, we’ve completed the first
living on flood plains – they might have phase of a major scheme designed to
no experience of the devastation it can protect the city,” says Dominic Bradley, a
cause,” says Woolgar. “As a result, they principal engineer with Atkins’ rivers and
may have little or no direct incentive to coastal team. “Essentially, it provides a
protect themselves, through insurance, combination of embankments, retaining
moving or making their property more walls, flood storage and pumping to
resilient until after they have been hit control a one in two hundred years
a
t
e
r
with disaster.” The UK’s Environment flood, which could otherwise affect
Agency is currently undertaking research about 1,500 homes and businesses.”
into the public’s perception of flood risk, If the climate really is changing, a
with a view to finding better ways to higher level of flood protection such as W
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