We are delighted to have been involved in a groundbreaking report with Flood Re and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), published today.
The report, Modelling the Impact of Spending on Defence Maintenance on Flood Losses, explores in-depth the benefit of flood defence maintenance in the UK ahead of the Government’s consultation on its Comprehensive Spending Review this summer.
Key findings from the research highlight that:
The effectiveness of flood defences plays a significant role in the resilience of our communities and will continue to do so, especially with research suggesting that flooding is likely to increase in frequency and severity. We are delighted to have applied our flood science expertise in support of this important investigation that underlines the cost-benefit of investment in flood defence schemes.
The research project modelled four different spending scenarios, with maintenance investments ranging from a lower to an upper annual spend and the associated net benefit for each scenario. The study explored the relationship between inland flood defence maintenance and flood defence failure due to breaching (caused by structural failure). It also estimated the total benefit derived from river flood wall and embankment defences and the associated upkeep costs of these defences.
While this report focuses on flood defences and the important role they play in reducing the impact of flooding, with the UK’s surface water flood risk increasing, it is important to ensure that other flood risk management measures, such as clearing culverts, are also funded appropriately.