A new white paper from built environment science centre BRE calls for more strategic action on flooding.
BRE welcomes the Treasury’s £2.3 billion investment in flood defences but with one in six homes now under threat of flooding from rivers, sea and surface water a new approach to dealing with the risks is needed.
A new white paper by Director of BRE’s Centre for Resilience Dr Stephen Garvin says: "Given the scale of risk flooding can’t be defended against fully, a flood management approach based on resilience is required where we learn to live with water.
"Investment in research and innovation is imperative so we can start to innovate and develop materials, product and designs conducive to resilience
We need regulations and standards for the many thousands of properties built in flood risk areas and we need new guidance on existing homes.
"The construction sector is not ready for resilience, to draw a parallel it is roughly where is was in regards to sustainability before the first oil crisis in the 1970s.
"There are 5.2 million homes at risk of flooding. Government’s investment in flood defences will protect 300,000 of these but a new approach to flood management is needed to reduce the risks further.
"The Centre urges the Government to think about the rise in surface water flooding, prevalent in urban areas as this requires a more adaptive flood management approach. Our urban environment continues to grow apace – surface water management needs to be embedded in the new developments we construct with things like sustainable urban drainage systems, green roofs to decrease water run off as well as localised flood resilient technologies."