The Environment Agency and other flood risk management authorities are reviewing and updating plans for managing flood risk in the Thames Estuary. The plan is a long-term strategy to manage flood risk and climate change impacts in the Thames Estuary. Below is an extract from the Environment Agency’s release on the launch of a new consultation on the future.

The vast and complex network of 330km of tidal flood defences, barriers and other structures continues to protect 1.42 million people and over £321 billion worth of homes from flooding from the sea. As climate change accelerates, sea level rises and the frequency of storm surges increases, these defences are having to work harder to reduce the risk of flooding to us, our homes, and vitally important habitat and wildlife in the estuary.

Sea level in the Thames Estuary has risen over the last century, and the rate of sea level rise is accelerating. Taking measures to alleviate this is no longer enough on its own; we must adapt to ensure the estuary remains resilient, today and into the future. (photo: National Police Air Service)

No single organisation can manage this risk alone. In 2012, the Environment Agency and our partners published the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan. The Plan is a long-term adaptive strategy for how flood risk management authorities (e.g., the Environment Agency, local councils and utility companies) can manage the increasing risk of tidal flooding due to climate change.

The Plan is adaptive as we regularly review and update it using the latest scientific evidence and data, allowing the best decisions to be made at the right time. We are carrying out the first full review and update of the Plan since it was published; the 10-Year Review. We plan to publish an updated Thames Estuary 2100 Plan in 2023.

We are now consulting with the public, our partners, businesses and service providers across the estuary on proposed content for the updated Thames Estuary 2100 Plan.

Since the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan was published over 10 years ago, we have come a long way in improving our understanding of the evidence and data we review to gauge how and why the estuary is changing. We have also set new targets like reaching carbon net zero by 2030, have reviewed how to bring sustainability to the forefront of Plan, improved our understanding of the costs and benefits of the options in the Plan, and much more.

The consultation closes at 11:45pm on 20 November 2022.

For further information see the dedicated Environment Agency web page here.

A suite of documents explaining the plans for managing tidal flood risk in the Thames Estuary to the end of the century and beyond can be found here.

The consultation questions and submission form can be found here.