Flood Defense Mechanisms are not a Priority to the Government, says PAC

Flood Defense Mechanisms are not a Priority to the Government, says PAC

The U.K. government is not prepared to maintain an efficient flood defence. The government has recently decided to cut funds related to flood defence, highlighting their lack of commitment on this issue.

Though flood defence and protection is a national priority, the government has shown lack of interest and preparedness in maintaining an effective flood resistance system. Climate Change Risk Assessment has maintained that flooding heads the list of the 100 most acute national risks in the country amid climate change.

There is a wide gap between the funds allocated for flood defences and funds actually needed for the protection of 5 million homes. The cost of flood damage is estimated at £1.1 billion per annum, and is expected to rise due to ageing defences and climate change.


Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair Margaret Hodge has said that protection from floods is a national priority and “the Department of Environment sees more funding coming from local sources”. However, in the current climate this may not continue as both local authorities and businesses are under mounting financial pressure.

Charles Tucker, chair of the National Flood Forum, agrees with PAC and expressed that the government is doing very little to address this cause. He believes this is exposing citizens to greater risk, highlighting that floods will not wait until the country is financially secure before striking.

Margaret Hodge 

In its report, The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has observed that an increase in floods is likely, and damages are expected to amplify by almost 10 times.

Prime Minister David Cameron and environment secretary Caroline Spelman are aware of the risks, but the coalition government has slashed the budget by 27% during its first year in office. About 1,000 schemes have not been implemented due to lack of funds. The government has failed to provide a solution that guarantees access to flood prevention measures. This has left people vulnerable as the existing arrangements are due to expire in mid-2013 and the insurance industry has declared that households may not be able to insure themselves thereafter.

The government’s lukewarm approach has prompted The Association of British Insurers to publish the location of houses that are at extreme risk from floods, which may not receive assistance unless the government reacts proactively and comes up with an affordable financial scheme.

Source: eGov Monitor
Published Thursday, 2 February 2012 - 10:44