Dear Mr Lynch,
Climate Change Management
Thank you for your letter of 12 February to the Dorset Eye, about climate change and water management. Defra leads on these policy areas, and so I have been asked to reply.
Defra published a National Adaptation Programme (NAP) report in July last year which sets out a wide range of actions to address the most significant climate risks we face as a country. Building resilience to climate risk helps to safeguard growth and minimise the damage and disruption to economic activity from severe weather events such as flooding, drought and heat waves. The department also recently invited over 100 organisations, including those from the energy, water, transport, health and communications sectors to provide voluntary reports to government on how they plan to build their resilience to the impacts of climate change and associated severe weather events.
We expect water companies to take a long-term view of supply and demand, and plan effectively for secure supplies of water in their statutory water resources management plans (WRMPs). Water companies consult on revised plans every five years; the most recent consultations were last year. You can view your water company’s plan on its website.
WRMPs must take into account the implications of changing weather patterns in their supply and demand forecasts and also local economic growth and housing numbers and population forecasts, using the most up-to-date forecasts available. The plans must include the justification of the need for any new water supply resources (e.g. reservoirs, water transfers) while assessing these with proposed demand side measures such as improved leakage control or metering programmes. For more information, you may wish to read the Government’s ‘Water for life’ white paper, at www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-for-life
You raise concerns about urban development planning in order to reduce flood risk. Unfortunately this lies outside Defra’s flood policy remit; you may wish to raise these concerns directly with the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Yours sincerely,
Justin Falston
Defra – Customer Contact Unit
