The UK government has recently announced a £16 million funding boost to improve flood protection for farmers and rural communities. The additional funding will go toward internal drainage boards (IDBs) to boost farm and rural flood resilience, bringing the total IDB Fund to £91 million. The government reported that an expected 400,000 hectares of agricultural land and around 91,000 homes and businesses across England will benefit from the funding.

Photo: Mathis Mauprivez

The Government and Environment Agency have additionally announced over 1,000 flood schemes will be built or repaired to protect thousands of homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding. Their statement says they are investing a record £2.65 billion over two years, and the government has published the full list of projects supported over the next year. The scheme is estimated to help protect 52,000 homes and businesses from flooding, which has become increasingly frequent and severe in recent years because of climate change. Around £430 million will go towards the construction of new schemes while a further £220 million will be used to repair existing flood defences.