Millions at 'high risk' of flooding

Millions of homes could be flooded unless measures are introduced to protect the environment, according to a government report.

It warns that 1.6 million British residents are at "high risk" of river and coastal flooding. But this will rise to between 2.3 and 3.6 million by the 2080s.

At the same time, annual economic damage caused by flooding could increase from £1 billion now to as much as £21 billion, the report says.

The Foresight project's Future Flooding, prepared for the Government, looks at the risks and changes to the environment over the next 30 to 100 years.

The findings come after the Association of British Insurers threatened to remove universal flood cover from householders if the Government cuts its £500 million annual investment in defences. This could leave people in areas such as Yalding in Kent and Lewes in East Sussex at risk of being unable to buy or sell homes.

Today's report warns that a reduction in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, and enhanced flood protection are needed to help protect the 1.7 million properties currently in flood risk areas in England and Wales.

It calls for a 25 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and the "careful-management" of new building in high-risk areas to counter environmental change, coastal erosion, heavier rainfall and rising tides.

Sir David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said: "The Foresight report is the most wide-ranging analysis of future flood risk ever made in the UK. There are currently around £200 billion worth of assets and 1.7 million properties in flood risk areas in England and Wales. The challenge needs to be considered now."

The report is also likely to address the need to upgrade the Thames Barrier by 2030 and ensure that housebuilding on the flood plains of the Thames Gateway is done alongside the building of new river defences.

In 1983 the Thames Barrier was closed only once during the entire year. But in January last year it was closed 19 times.

The Thames Gateway has been earmarked for 120,000 new homes over the next 15 years, 20,000 of which are expected to be built on flood plains.

The report, commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry, found that if current expenditure and approaches to flood defences remained unchanged over the century then the risk of river and coastal flooding could increase between two and 20 times.

In addition, the risk of flooding from rainfall could increase between three and six times, while the effectiveness of sewers and drains could be hit.

Previous research by the London Assembly found it would cost £4 billion to upgrade the Thames Barrier by 2030 to continue its protection of 420,000 properties at risk from tidal flooding.

The Assembly also found that river flooding from the Thames and its tributaries would become more frequent as a result of climate change - saying there was an "urgent need" to improve defences upstream of the barrier in areas such as Hammersmith, Chiswick and Twickenham.