The UK's Flood Awareness Paradox
Britain faces a critical paradox in its battle against flooding: while possessing some of the world's most sophisticated flood-risk information systems, public awareness and preparedness remain alarmingly low. This disconnect threatens communities nationwide as climate change intensifies weather extremes.
Data Rich But Awareness Poor
The Environment Agency provides comprehensive, address-searchable flood-risk maps and regularly runs public information campaigns. The north-east of England has pioneered community flood-resilience officers dedicated to engaging at-risk areas, a model now spreading to other regions.
Yet these substantial efforts have yielded minimal results. A 2016 Environment Agency poll revealed only 45% of people in flood-risk areas understood their vulnerability, with a mere 7% recognising any threat to their own property.
The Need for Root-and-Branch Reform
Dr Ed Rollason from Kelloe, County Durham, argues that the problem stems from excessive centralisation and technocratic dominance by engineers favouring infrastructure-based solutions. This approach excludes the public from environmental decision-making, creating a dangerous dependency culture where people expect 'someone else' to handle flood protection.
Thorough reform of flood management is essential to reconnect people with their watery environments. Dr Rollason advocates devolving flood-management powers to local and regional levels through properly funded local authorities, rather than relying solely on the Environment Agency.
The priority must shift to building trusted and effective relationships between risk-management authorities and communities. This involves developing unified risk understandings and combining infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and community activity to build genuine resilience.
Separately, Moira Robinson from Kidlington, Oxfordshire, noted that an illustration accompanying recent flood coverage would suit Ian McEwan's new book 'What We Can Know', which explores fictionalised consequences of rising flood waters - potentially essential reading for planning committees.
