Defra promises to double flood protection investment

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has unveiled a strategy that puts natural capital solutions central to England’s flood defence and risk planning.

Defra promised to double spending on flood defences and coastal erosion to £5.6 billion over the next six years and place water resource management central to its vision.

In a policy statement on flood defences and coastal erosion, Defra set out its vision for an integrated approach to flood risk and water resource management as part of efforts to make the nation more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

It pointed out the interconnectedness of managing and storing water from flooding to alleviate the ravages of drought as climate change brings warmer, wetter winters and drier, hotter summers.

George Eustace, secretary of state for Defra, promised to double the number of projects including nature-based solutions to reduce flood risk.

“To succeed, we will need to work together – including government and individuals, national and local public bodies, the third and private sectors, local communities and those responsible for key infrastructure.”

Increased spend will include 2,000 defence schemes to protect 336,000 properties. Defra said this would reduce flooding risk by 11 per cent by 2027 and avoid the associated recovery costs following a flooding incident. The statement suggested that £32 billion in economic damages by 2027 can be avoided with the preventative spending, which would also create jobs.

Speaking at a parliamentary committee on flooding, Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency (EA) explained that for every £1 spent on flood and erosion protect £5 worth of damage was avoided.

She said the flood strategy has evolved from protecting communities to predicting and preparing for the next flooding incident as they are set to become more frequent.

Since 2015 the government has invested £2.6 billion in flooding and coastal erosion protection, which, John Craven, executive director of flood and coastal risk management at the EA, told the parliamentary committee included “a lot of low-hanging fruit” because it was the first significant investment for many years.

The investment to date meant the number of properties damaged in the 2019/20 flooding were limited to 4,000 properties compared to 55,000 damaged by equivalent rainfall in similar area in 2007.

Rebecca Pow, environment minister, said there will be an increase in the pace of progress to tackle flood and erosion risks and outlined an extra £170 million for 22 flood schemes over and above the £5.2 billion investment into 2000 schemes.

Pow said the investments will include the £469 million that water companies included within PR19 business plans to develop strategic water supply management schemes that can also improve flooding risk.

She said: “We will manage our river catchments in a holistic way from source to sea. Our £640 million Nature for Climate Fund and our new Environmental Land Management scheme will help to harness the power of nature in the fight against flooding – from tree planting to the creation of habitats, slowing water flow and restoring peatlands to hold water.”

The policy statement has five central themes, which include to upgrade and expand national flood defences and infrastructure including £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal defence programme in England to reduce flood risk by up to 11 per cent by 2027.

Secondly, to manage the flow of water more effectively with an integrated approach that will both protect homes and communities from flooding but also offer wider benefits for water resource management and the environment. Defra said it will increase the provision of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) as a means to better manage surface water. It will increase the number of water management schemes across catchments to reduce flood risk and help manage drought risk. It said this will include looking at opportunities for “nationally strategic infrastructure”.

The statement sets out that a range of small and large-scale actions will be added across catchments to slow the flow, hold and release water as and when required from source to sea.

These will include both engineered and nature-based solutions. Existing assets such as water transfers and reservoirs will be used when appropriate. Defra said it will prioritise schemes that support public water supply, flood risk management, agricultural needs and improve the environment wherever possible.

Thirdly it will harness the power of nature to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk. This includes doubling the number of government funded projects including nature-based solutions to reduce flooding. Nature-based solutions provide wider environmental and social benefits including nature recovery – to protect and restore habitats, species and landscapes – and improved water availability. They also enhance water quality – as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan commitments for clean and plentiful water.

Fourth, to better prepare communities and homes for flooding including making sure new-build homes are resilient to flooding and coastal erosion.

Finally, to enable more resilience places through a catchment-based approach. This will mean taking a collaborative approach with stakeholders to explore actions that would have a positive impact upstream or downstream. Defra said it will transform the current approach to local flood risk planning to give all parts of England a plan for long-term action and investment.

Schemes may include salt marshes and wetlands that provide wildlife-rich habitat for species; and planting trees that in the right places can help slow the flow of water and sequester carbon.

Ahead of PR24 the EA will work with Ofwat to develop a joint approach for how water companies should address flood and coastal resilience and the government will consider what further outcomes might be required in future price reviews.

Howard Boyd said a lot of work was undertaken by the EA, water companies and Ofwat in the run up to PR19 to set objectives to improve flooding defences. She said the regulators alliance for progressing infrastructure development (RAPID) is an extension of that collaboration in recognition of the joined-up effort needed to get infrastructure projects off the ground.