26 Jun 2025

 Image description: A water pump with water pouring out as it is operated. Image by congerdesign from Pixabay   Water abstraction surges to record levels An investigation into licensing data by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian found that the volume of water taken from rivers and lakes for industrial or public consumption in England, known […]

27 Mar 2025

A new report from Public First has urged the Chancellor to commit at least £1.5 Bn annually on flood defences in the spending review, with no current funding commitment from the Labour government on flood defences beyond April 2026.   Image description: A house and powerlines submerged in water. Image by Wes Warren   The […]

12 Sep 2024

The government says that predicting where future flooding and droughts will strike next in the UK will be made easier under a new project for scientists using the latest tech and real-time data. It will help key bodies, like local authorities and the Environment Agency, to stem the worst of extreme weather’s impact on communities, […]

10 Mar 2022

“Water is the most important thing there is” – Remarks by Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Water, 3 March 2022 “Water is about the most important thing there is: it’s essential for life and everything else. Water – its quantity and its quality – […]

25 Jan 2022

2022: The Year of Climate Adaptation Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency speech to the Coastal Futures conference “Thank you for inviting me to speak at this year’s Coastal Futures conference. In 1953, 307 lives were lost on land and more than 177 people were lost at sea in the east coast surge. […]

14 Dec 2021

The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Good Practice Guide has been published: Strategic flood risk assessment good practice guide | ADEPT (adeptnet.org.uk) The research reports, used to create the guide, were published on 25th November and can be accessed here: Using flood risk information in spatial planning – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Strategic flood risk assessment good […]

02 Dec 2021

Executive summary Effective planning is essential for getting the right kind of sustainable growth in the right places. This includes avoiding development in flood risk areas and creating and maintaining places that are resilient to flooding. This report describes how flood risk information is used in strategic spatial plans and decision making, and the barriers […]