The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management is calling for further UK and devolved government funding to mitigate flood risk and to provide greater resilience to climate change and its anticipated flood impacts in UK.

The Institution made the call in a Policy Position Statement on flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) issued in response to the current crisis.

The PPS says there is an essential requirement for ”integrated, strategically planned, locally supported, appropriately funded, effective, timely and flexible”  flood and coastal risk management solutions.

CIWEM is calling for further UK and devolved government funding for FCERM to mitigate flood risk and to provide greater resilience to climate change and its anticipated flood impacts in UK. The Institution says funding has not returned to the levels seen in 2010 or kept pace in recent years with inflation or the increased risk of flooding from more frequent severe weather events.

Greater recognition by the UK and devolved governments should also be given to the value of funding for maintenance activities alongside capital improvements. These are needed to prolong the life of existing flood and coastal defences and also to ensure floodwaters are effectively conveyed through the land drainage network. The PPS says investment in new flood and coastal erosion defences should not be to the detriment of investing to support communities protected by existing infrastructure.

Ciwem is also calling for simplification of the arrangements for seeking external funds towards FCERM schemes and recognition of the “time, sensitivities and resources taken to work with communities at risk to seek funds from a multitude of sources”  Contributions towards the cost of community defences should also be sought from developers who can demonstrate that they can provide safe, sustainable and resilient developments in flood risk areas. The PPS says:

“The present contribution of partnership funding from private sources is small and further incentives are needed to encourage the private sector to contribute.”

Central Government funding needed to mitigate impacts

The PPS says that central Government funding is needed to mitigate flood risk and to provide greater resilience to climate change and its anticipated impacts on UK flood risk. In Ciwem’s view partnership funding will not on its own be enough to address the gap between current funding levels and the funding requirement identified in the Environment Agency’s Long Term Investment Strategy 2009 to meet the expected impacts of climate change and take into account deterioration of assets over time.

CIWEM also wants proposals for the Sustainable Drainage Systems Approving Body to be taken forward in England and Wales as soon as practically possible to provide a consistent standard for surface water management on new developments and reduce flood risk in wider communities. In addition, there should also be clear recognition that sustainable drainage will need to be retrofitted to existing developments for SUDs to have any widespread beneficial impact.

The flooding events in July 2007, which were linked to the deaths of 13 people and cost the UK economy £4 billion in damage.  Currently more than 5.5 million (one in six) properties in England and Wales are at risk of flooding from all water sources, with one in 22 homes and one in 13 businesses are at risk of flooding  in Scotland.

Click here to read Ciwem’s Policy Position Statement in full.