The Environment Agency published its annual report on flood and coastal erosion risk management work carried out by risk management authorities in England earlier this month.
According to the report, successive storms in December 2015 resulted in record level rainfall and river levels, which led to widespread flooding which affected 17,000 homes and businesses in the North of England.
According to the report, a total of around 23 400 properties were protected by flood risk assets during the month of December, without which damage to lives and livelihoods would have been far worse. This ensured that the planned programme of new flood schemes was continued throughout 2016.
During the past year, 173 schemes were completed by the Environment Agency, local councils and internal drainage boards, which reduced the flood risk to almost 49,000 homes and coastal erosion risk to over 5,500 homes. This all forms part of a larger scheme and a 6 year investment programme which aims to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk to 300,000 homes by March 2021.
According to the report, 693 hectares of habitat was created or improved through flood and coastal erosion risk management work. Part of the government’s response was to announce a £75 million fund for the restoration and repair of flood defences, which included £10 million to repair the Foss Barrier, which was damaged during the storms.
Governments are doing much these days to counteract flooding and flood damage as a result of climate change and an antiquated storm-water system by publishing flood risk management plans and updating river basin management plans and shoreline management plans.
This approach is intended to set the direction for flood and coastal risk management, and to help secure a long-term integrated planning approach and partnerships between government and risk management authorities, using past experiences to plan for the future.
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