Government action on flooding has ‘deteriorated’, warns EAC

The government’s action on flooding and coastal protection has shown "deterioration since 2010" according to a report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC).

The EAC’s environmental scorecard said work to prevent flooding has become worse, or will not hit satisfactory levels by 2020 and has therefore issued a red warning.

Amber warnings were issued to water availability, as well as to efforts to curb emissions and tackle climate change, signalling that “satisfactory progress” is not being made.

The EAC highlighted that 3 million properties are at risk from surface water flooding, and 2.4 million from coastal or river flooding, and stated that “sustainable drainage systems needed to be developed”.

It also stated that “building on floodplains should be reduced substantially” in order to prevent properties being flooded during and after periods of heavy rainfall.

In terms of water availability, the EAC stated that “demand is expected to increase” due to agriculture, higher industrial use, including for carbon capture and storage technologies, while fracking “may also affect water availability”.

The report also criticised a “significant gap in low carbon infrastructure investment” which is hampering the UK’s ability to lower its carbon emissions and tackle climate change.

The EAC added this had been “exacerbated by the uncertainty caused by the government’s review of the fourth carbon budget”.

The report stated that an Environmental Strategy is needed, and called on the government to should set up an independent body – an “Office for Environmental Responsibility” – to review the Environment Strategy, to monitor its performance against this strategy, and advise the government on environmental targets and policies.

Chair of the EAC, Joan Walley, said: “Our inquiry provides a wide ranging examination of the state of the environment and shows that further and continued effort is required to protect it properly.”

She added: “Effective action on environmental protection is essential, both during the current Parliament and beyond.

“Parties should therefore be considering credible environmental protection in their manifestos.

“I want them to use our report as both a wake-up call and a template for the measured that need to be put forward.

“Consistent action by successive governments will help ensure that the benefits of nature are available to future generations as much as they are to ours.”