Sustainable flood defence in England and Wales

Abstract

There are five million people at risk from flooding in England and Wales along with nearly two million homes and 185 000 business properties.The principal operational responsibility for reducing this risk rests with the UK government's Environment Agency, which employs over 5000 staff dedicated to the role. This paper explores key technical, organisational and environmental challenges facing the Environment Agency in delivering sustainable flood defence in England and Wales. It examines new strategic developments and the recent restructuring of the Environment Agency's flood defence service, and illustrates the practicalities of sustainable flood defence by looking at the autumn 2000 floods, the Gainsborough flood alleviation scheme, land use change, river restoration projects and managed realignment of flood defences.