Scientists have warned that flash floods in London this weekend could become more common as the climate crisis worsens, and the UK government, businesses and homeowners need to do more to protect themselves from future damage.
No town, city or village will be affected by the floods and we all need to take drastic action now, ”said Dr. Jess Newman, a hydrologist at the University of Reading. If you want to prevent the effects from getting worse in the future. “
Climate policy in the UK focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the main concern of which is to reduce human impact on climate and ensure that global warming does not reach catastrophic levels. The government has been repeatedly warned that measures are urgently needed to deal with the effects of severe weather and that the UK is lagging behind in such adaptive measures.
The UK’s infrastructure, including its sewerage and water supply systems and transportation, needs to be modified to cope with the damage, including its electricity and telecommunications networks, as happened in London over the weekend.
Buildings need to be redesigned and public areas need to be refurbished to accommodate better drainage and storm drainage, while more innovative approaches include micro-sidewalks.
Experts warn that the lack of green space and vegetation, and the setting up of multiple areas without focusing on flood risks, have exacerbated the problem in many cities, including London, and need to be addressed.
“Planning and development must adapt accordingly from all sources – rivers, groundwater, flash floods – to consider flood risks,” Newman said. “Continuing to pave the land is unacceptable, and houses expect the public to deal with water when they reach the water.”
One problem is that the responsibility for flood protection in the UK is divided between many authorities, with little central oversight.
Liz Stevens, associate professor of climate regression at the University of Reading, said: “There are still more complex roles and responsibilities in the UK for surface flood hazards, which are managed by local flood authorities, with the Environmental Agency providing maps and early warnings to help the public better understand the risks and what they can do. Difficult. ”
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