While the hearts and minds of many among us might be planted in the desert heat of Qatar, away from the footballing drama of the World Cup, we can be easily lulled from the reality of a damp and domestic November.
However, this would be a mirage. As a nation we are increasingly inundated.
The amount of rain from extremely wet days increased by 17% from the period of 1961-1990 to 2008-2017. Under a high emission scenario, by 2070 rainfall in the UK could be as much as 47% lower in the summer and 35% higher in the winter than at present. The effects of this increase will be felt most acutely in built-up areas, as urbanisation and surface water are intimately linked together.
Another damp and dispiriting truth that in England alone some 5.4 million homes – one-in-six – are at risk of flooding with many of these susceptible to surface water flooding.
As the UK is experiencing extremely wet days – more days of heavy summer rainfall on impermeable ground as well as a significant increase in heavy winter rainfalls – we are seeing an unsurprising increase the incidence of surface water flooding.
Flood resilience is a public infrastructure challenge that must be gripped tightly at every level of place – from our major cities and towns through to villages.
In our report published today ‘Surface Tensions – working together against flash flooding’ Localis says the connection between increased urbanisation and surface water risk demands greater coordination between the public sector, developers and wider society.
Our report gives play to the many successes around capital investment in infrastructure, but also puts forward the argument that this alone will not make for effective response to surface water flooding. What, Localis argues is needed most of all is inter-agency collaboration and levers embedded in planning policy to enable government agencies, local government, housebuilders, and the water companies to deliver effectively.
The study found the separation of roles and responsibilities for managing and forecasting the impact flood risk are fragmented between a slew of government departments, agencies and local bodies, resulting in confusion when flooding does occur.
Among its key recommendations to reduce risk of surface flooding from climate change, Localis calls for the creation of a strong strategic planning authority with power for force national and local risk management authorities, such as the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to work closely together and link up policy.
The report also calls for stronger collaboration between developers, landowners, LLFAs and central government agencies to understand and manage flood risk and resilience, and for this to be encouraged and incentivised across all new developments.
Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are increasingly being seen as a solution to this challenge. They provide an alternative to the direct channelling of water through networks of pipes to nearby watercourses. Implementing SuDS, as well as upgrading existing infrastructure to cope with increased rainfall, requires coordination across the broad governance of the built environment – from the planning of new homes to the redevelopment of existing housing stock, across the management of connective infrastructure and nearby land, to the engagement of the wider local public sector and civil society.
To tackle surface flooding, the next revision of the National Planning Policy Framework must require Local Plans to demonstrate how lead local flood authorities have assessed aggregate risk across the whole area, as well as how flood impacts will avoided, controlled, mitigated, and managed.
And at the level of place, for infrastructure and procurements concerning flooding, lead local flood authorities should move away from human-engineered barriers and toward natural drainage systems that work to slow the flow of surface water and relieve pressure on sewers.
How we go about funding this will be crucial. Central government would be best advised to produce a comprehensive flood infrastructure funding programme that is less restrictive and targeted toward places most at risk, while also encouraging ‘bottom-up’ practice by streamlining the funding process for smaller, district or community-based projects.
There is a need to help people understand what they can do themselves through flood action groups to recognise flood risk. Throughout such work, the need for well-coordinated and informed partnerships at the local level is crucial.
Partnerships should start at grassroots with planning and talking to those who have experience of past flooding, aggregating up to a full programme of investments in both infrastructure and institutional capacity.
Jonathan Werran is chief executive, Localis
