EFRA launches climate and weather resilience inquiry with call for evidence on coastal erosion and landslips

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is today launching a call for evidence on coastal erosion and landslips as part of its long-term thematic inquiry into Climate and weather resilience. It will issue further calls for evidence on different topics within the broader inquiry in due course.  

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads government work on adaptation and resilience and coordinates the Government's approach to major incidents including extreme weather and natural hazards. Reducing the risk and impact of flooding and coastal erosion on people, communities, and the environment has been specified as one of Defra's four priority outcomes. 

The impact of coastal erosion is felt each day by large parts of the UK with some parts of Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk undergoing some of the fastest erosion in Europe. More than a quarter of coastline in England and Wales experiences erosion greater than 10 cm per year. 

Both coastal erosion and landslips are triggered or exacerbated during extreme weather events such as storms or intense rainfall. The resulting loss of property and livelihoods has a serious impact, from those directly affected to emergency services responsible for immediate and ongoing support. Environmentally significant landscapes and cultural landmarks such as Tintagel on Cornwall's coast, or Hurst Castle in Hampshire are also in danger.   

With the Environment Agency's Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Strategy Roadmap due to end in 2026, this new inquiry seeks to determine ow current policy frameworks remain as the challenges of climate change and their human costs are felt across the UK.  

The Committee welcomes written submissions from stakeholders across the UK, including affected communities, local authorities and emergency services, industry representatives, environmental and cultural bodies, academics, and members of the public. 

The Committee is inviting responses to the following questions by 10 October: 

1. What is the scale and nature of the risks posed by coastal erosion and landslips to communities, the economy and the environment? 

1. What strategies are currently in place, or needed, to reduce the risks of landslips and coastal erosion, and what research gaps exist? What policies are in place nationally and locally, such as within the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Strategy, for mitigation of hazards associated with landslips and coastal erosion? How effective and well-resourced are they and what types of impacts are considered within the policy framework?  

1. What are the social, economic, and psychological impacts of landslips and coastal erosion on affected communities? And how can these be addressed? 

1. Is there sufficient support available to those who have sustained damage or loss of property due to landslips or coastal erosion, and are items such as financial compensation, relocation assistance, and wellbeing services considered in this support? 

1. Are emergency services and local authorities sufficiently resourced and trained to respond to the increasing risks of landslips and coastal erosion linked to extreme weather events, particularly in rural, coastal and hard-to-reach areas? 

1. To what extent is the protection of and access to significant natural landscapes and heritage sites being undermined due to coastal erosion or landslips, what are the impacts of this, and how could this be addressed?