24 Apr 2025
Disaster planning often overlooks how people truly respond during emergencies. New research, highlighted by CIWEM, using insights from schoolchildren shows how social data can make flood evacuation strategies more effective and inclusive. In July 2021, devastating floods struck Germany and Belgium due to extreme rainfall, submerging many towns. In Germany, over 190 lives were lost, particularly in […]
17 Apr 2025
Image description: Aerial shot of Dunball sluice during early refurbishment. Image by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency has completed a £9.7 million refurbishment of the Dunball Sluice, a crucial tidal defence asset near Bridgwater that helps protect homes, businesses and internationally important freshwater habitats across the Somerset Levels region. The agency has upgraded […]
03 Apr 2025
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 […]
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 […]
20 Mar 2025
A new report commissioned by RSA Insurance, an Intact company, and The Wildlife Trusts shows that every £1 invested in natural flood management (NFM) is expected to deliver £10 of benefits over 30 years. The report, Assessing the multiple benefits of Natural Flood Management, was released after it transpired that insurers paid out £585M in […]
18 Mar 2025
A major milestone has been reached in the construction of the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier with the arrival of a jack up barge from Liverpool. Jack up barges provide a stable working platform for the construction and servicing of structures in marine or fluvial environments. Arriving in Bridgwater on 13 March, the Haven SeaSeven will enable […]
06 Mar 2025
After centuries of absence from England’s waterways, the UK Government has recently ruled in favor of the reintroduction of beavers into the wild. The return of beavers can help restore rivers and wetlands and reduce flooding and drought. Research has shown that beaver dams can improve downstream water quality, with benefits for wild swimmers and […]
13 Feb 2025
The Government has committed £2.65 billion to better protect 66,000 properties from flooding and coastal erosion by March 2026. The record two-year investment of £2.65 billion will see 52,000 properties benefit from new defences, with a further 14,500 properties benefiting from repairs and maintenance of existing defences. Photo credit: Zac Firth A full […]
