Flooding: Written evidence to the EFRA Committee
In 2020, the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee held an inquiry into flooding, seeking to understand the environmental causes and potential solutions to a problem that was already becoming increasingly urgent in the context of climate change.
The IES submitted written evidence to the inquiry, offering a systems perspective that emphasised the importance of nature-based solutions and integrated approaches. Our evidence was cited in the Committee's final report.
The key messages in our evidence
- The IES supported a systems approach to addressing flood and coastal risk alongside the wider environmental causes of that risk.
- We called for flood and coastal risk management to be co-ordinated at the catchment-level, reflecting interactions across all elements of the water, biosphere, and land environments.
- We argued that flood and coastal risk management should not come at the expense of other environmental goals, so we should avoid unduly shifting the burden of risk to other aspects of the biosphere which lack the capacity to sustainably manage that risk.
- We called for an interdisciplinary approach to reducing flood risk, integrated with solutions to other environmental crises.
- We argued for a strategic systems approach to addressing environmental issues from their causes, rather than solely mitigating their effects.
- We advocated for techniques such as rewilding, soil and water bioengineering, and source control of water where they are contextually appropriate.
- We called on government to adopt sustainable drainage systems early in planning processes and infrastructure development.
Where to find out more
- If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest developments, make sure you are subscribed to Essential Environment.
- For more information about our priorities for UK water policy, read our recommendations to the UK Government.
- Take a step towards developing your own policy skills through our training on ‘Understanding environmental policy’ and 'Influencing and Engaging with policy'.
- To support the delivery of environmental policies in practice, see our Environmental Policy Implementation Community.
If you want to support the work of the IES, you can become an affiliate, or if you’re a professional in the environmental sector working with science, consider joining the IES.
Header image credit: © Cavan | Adobe Stock
