MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2022) Around 600,000 properties in England risk massive flooding in the coming years unless sufficient investments were made to improve drainage systems and actions to reduce urban wastewater, according to a report from the National Infrastructure Commission released on Tuesday.
Currently, 325,000 properties in England are located in high risk areas, with a 60% chance of being flooded in the next 30 years, according to the report.
"Without action, climate change and urbanisation could put an additional 230,000 properties at high risk by 2055," the commission said, adding that "a further 50,000-65,000 properties may be put in areas at high risk due to unplanned increases in impermeable surfaces (e.g. front gardens being paved over), which, alongside new development, is part of 'urbanisation'."
To avoid possible damage and causalities, greater control over new real estate projects and investments worth 12 billion Pounds in drainage infrastructure over 30 years are required, the report read.
"While sustained investment is needed, the estimated additional costs are relatively modest. At least as important is a more joined-up approach to owning and acting on the problem," Jim Hall, National Infrastructure Commissioner said in a statement on the occasion of the report's publication.
The commissioner also recommended that the government pass a law banning further drain-related developments to promote implementation of resilient systems.
"The solution is clear: reducing the amount of water flowing into drains... That means stopping urban creep from increasing the amount of storm water that drainage systems have to cope with and giving nature more opportunities to hold on to excess water," Hall added.
In addition, the report urged the UK Environment Agency to strengthen control in relation to surface water flooding, while the Ofwat water services regulation authority was urged to enable UK water and sewerage firms to invest in solutions to deal with surface water flooding.
