A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will be launched
this week, to champion community voices and strengthen the
nation's ability to plan for and respond to extreme
weather.
This year alone, the nation has experienced the effects of our
changing climate, with a wet winter followed by a long, hot
summer bringing our third drought in five years and the driest
July in almost two centuries, while a more intense and wetter
winter is now anticipated.
The largest flood defence programme in English history is being
delivered by the government, with at least £10.5 billion
committed between 2024 and 2036 to protect homes, businesses, and
critical infrastructure from the growing threat of
flooding.
Meeting for the first time this Wednesday (14 October 2026), the
new Taskforce will bring Floods and Drought Minister together with representatives
from more than 50 organisations, including the Environment
Agency, Met Office, Mayoral authorities, the Fire and Rescue
Services, and the farming, water and insurance
industry.
The group will share expertise, from understanding risks and
assessing preparedness to supporting a longer-term resilience
strategy for floods and drought, helping to protect communities
and the economy.
The voices of communities affected by both issues will be central
to the new taskforce, through direct engagement and the inclusion
of more community-based groups, so their lived experiences and
insights inform future policy development.
In this week's meeting, the agenda will focus on assessing the
nation's preparedness for potential flooding this winter, which
shows the nation is better prepared compared to last year, and
how members have improved their response. It will also discuss
emerging learnings from the ongoing drought, and if improvements
could be made to aid the nation's resilience to both flooding and
drought.
Floods and Drought Minister said:
We're facing extreme weather, with flood and drought intertwined,
but the government is taking decisive action.
We're taking a smarter, more joined-up approach to manage the
nation's water and set up our new Flood and Drought Resilience
Taskforce. This will put communities and businesses at the heart
of our work and will make sure the UK is ready for whatever the
weather brings next.
We are also backing that ambition with historic investment,
including £4.2 billion for existing and new flood defences that
will protect even more people in the years ahead.
The Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will complement the
work of the National Drought Group, which will continue to play
its vital role in coordinating and overseeing the operational
response to drought.
The new Taskforce will maintain strong links between the two,
with the National Drought Group's expertise and insights helping
to inform its work on strategic resilience and
preparedness.
The government has already taken swift action in response to the
drought, by holding water companies to account to reduce leaks,
supporting farmers with a £65 million funding boost to build
resilience, and changing the rules to make building on-site
reservoirs easier.
In 2026/27, £1.4 billion is being spent on building and repairing
flood defences, with every £1 invested in flood defences
preventing around £8 in economic damage.
