"Look at it this way"

This Guardian piece by John Harris explores something which hydrologists have known for decades. We know how to stop communities from flooding, but it takes the politicians to prioritise the funding for the methods that work: nature based solutions often, and stop allowing developers to build housing in floodplains - and a whole raft of other things such as proper drainage schemes. The piece also features a really nice illustration by Nathalie Lees. The AVIVA report from October that is referenced here is worth a read. There are references to particular landmarks - physical features as well as buildings - and some specific statistics. The report also outlines how many properties could be at risk across the UK. In England, the number of homes at risk from flooding is set to increase by over a quarter (27%), from 6.3 million to 8 million. While coastal flooding could put 3.2 million homes at threat, worryingly, surface water flooding– or flash floods – which are harder to predict and pr...

  Four new films look at the work of the Environment Agency to develop natural flood management schemes.  📢 Announcing our four NEW animated films developed with @envagency to spread the word about natural flood management (NFM) 🎉 Meet Twiggy from the film 'Wood you believe it' below and watch the rest of the films here 👇 https://t.co/SRl1IBb4kw (1/4) pic.twitter.com/bXqQnMekTi — CumbriaWildlifeTrust (@cumbriawildlife) October 28, 2024 We need to slow the flow. Storms which cause flooding in homes and businesses have increased in Cumbria in the last decade. Peatlands hold large amount of water and during periods of high rainfall they can both hold back water and also slow the flow of the water coming off the hills. Damaged peatlands cannot hold the same amounts of water, and areas that contain drains actually speed up the flow. This means that, during high rainfall events, water isn’t held back and released slowly but flows immediately into rivers, increasing the flooding ...