As the UK braces for Storm Austen, the National Trust's Director-General Hilary McGrady has called for the root causes of climate disasters to be tackled, insisting that 'mopping up the water while the tap is still running is a losing strategy'.
McGrady's comments come ahead of a National Wildfire Summit being held by Andy Burnham, which she says should be commended. She argues the meeting must be used to address the underlying causes of wildfires, not just treat the symptoms.
Summer wildfires recalled
McGrady reminded the public that just a few months ago, 19 family homes were lost in Stourbridge, a giant blaze burned for more than a month in the Cairngorms, and the National Trust nature reserve at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk was destroyed by 40-metre flames.
She noted that making it harder for fires to spread in the first place is key, pointing to simple science that wetter landscapes are harder to burn. During the Dunwich Heath blaze, wetlands on neighbouring RSPB land acted as a natural firebreak, stopping flames from reaching the Sizewell nuclear facility.
Government response and funding
The Government has announced it will spend £25 million on 're-wetting' dried-out peatlands and giving farmers money to create ponds. McGrady welcomed this, saying more like it is desperately needed.
She also expressed support for the Prime Minister's pledge of more support for emergency services, noting that fire crews need better equipment and training. She highlighted that in Suffolk, fire crews had to choose between heat exhaustion or adequate PPE, and that the National Trust had to call in a private helicopter because fire services haven't always had access to air support.
Nature as essential infrastructure
McGrady called for nature to be treated as essential infrastructure, like water, transport and utilities. She pointed out that street trees can lower temperatures by 8°C, putting 'wiggles' back into rivers can curb flooding, and healthy habitats can slow rainfall. She also cited a west London train station that has been flood-free since beavers were released nearby.
She suggested Andy Burnham could insist water companies put more cash into natural solutions, noting that only 3 per cent of their budgets currently go into nature-based solutions, and channel more money into parks, trees and green space.
McGrady concluded that without long-term solutions, there will be another Dunwich Heath, another Cairngorms, another Stourbridge, and they will be worse. She said today's announcements are a good start, but to truly stop these disasters, every tool in the box must be used, including nature.
