Climate Change Report Says Water Infrastructure Ill-Prepared

The Committee on Climate Change: Potential Vulnerabilities of WaterInfrastructure

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) haspublished a reportwhich recommends water companies and infrastructure providers take steps to address potential vulnerabilities.

The CCC Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) recommends that the comprehensive approach put in place by the power sector to protect their networks from severe weather should be adopted by water companies, for major roads, ports and airports, and by telecommunications providers.

Investing In Flood Defence To Avoid Future Damage

Past investment in flood defences, and recent improvements in forecasting, early warning and flood emergency planning, helped limit the impacts of the tidal surge in December 2013 - the largest in 60 years. These efforts must be stepped up to prevent more damage in future as sea levels rise and development in the floodplain continues.

Limited budgets mean that three-quarters of existing flood defence structures are not being adequately maintained. Regulations to avoid surface water flooding caused by new development should be introduced, after repeated delay. This was recommended six years ago by the Pitt Review.

The report says more must also be done by local councils to manage local flood risk. They should make sure that statutory local flood risk management plans and strategies are published, and agreed actions are taken. They should also enforce rules to avoid continuing loss of gardens to hard surfacing.

Lord John Krebs, chair of the CCC ASC, said: "The impacts of climate change on the UK in the decades ahead are likely to include rising sea levels, more flooding, summer heatwaves, and perhaps more frequent storms and droughts."

The resilience of transport networks, homes, hospitals and water supplies in England need to be enhanced to counter the more frequent and severe flooding and heatwaves that can be expected in future. This is the key finding of a new report by the government's official adviser on preparing for climate change.

Avoiding Overheating In Buildings

The CCC Sub-Committee is also calling for a new building standard to be introduced to prevent an increase in the number of premature deaths that could result from homes and buildings overheating. It estimates that premature deaths from overheating could triple to 7,000 per year by the 2050s, as average temperatures rise and combined with an ageing and more vulnerable population.

The Committee found that new homes are being designed for yesterday's climate, and not with the health impacts of higher temperatures in mind. One-fifth of homes could already be overheating, even in a cool summer. Forthcoming research from Cambridge University will also conclude that 90% of hospital wards are of a type prone to overheating, even in today's climate.

The Committee is recommending that cost-effective solutions, such as improved ventilation, tinted windows, and external insulation, should begin to be installed in new and existing homes, hospitals and care homes to limit the health impacts of higher temperatures.

Protecting Vital Infrastructure Services

The storms of last winter highlighted the costs, damages and disruption that extreme weather can cause to homes, businesses and vital services. The Committee found that positive action is being taken to avoid future disruption to power supplies, and to some extent to train services, that could arise from severe weather. In other areas plans were found to be lacking.

Professor David Balmforth, vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, himself a flood expert, commented: "The Committee rightly highlights the growing need for a more comprehensive approach to UK flood resilience, particularly one that better reflects interdependencies - or the "domino effect" that can be felt across energy, transport, water and waste networks when a flood defence is overwhelmed. This disruption results in an even greater impact on society and the economy.

"Fears around investment levels also echo our own concerns - if we are to meet the pressures of climate change, capital and maintenance investment will simply need to increase. Government should commit to a long term capital and maintenance programme for flood management which protects funding beyond the current six-year cycle."

Source: Energy & Environment Management

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Taxonomy

• Infrastructure
• Efficiency Improvement