Whilst spring rainfall has been a welcome relief for most of the
country, experts caution that ongoing action will remain vital
for securing our water supply into the future.
At this week’s meeting of the National Drought Group (Wednesday
24 May), chaired by Environment Agency Chief Executive John
Curtin, the group discussed how the government, regulators and
water companies can work together to better prepare for the
continual shocks and erratic weather patterns caused by a
changing climate.
Two Environment Agency areas remain in drought – parts of East
Anglia, as well as Devon and Cornwall. Both areas are beginning
to improve following above average rainfall throughout April.
The Environment Agency is advising water companies to get their
drought preparedness plans in order now, as another hot, dry
spell could see drought conditions return.
England is experiencing more extreme weather more often, with
parts of the country experiencing drought and flooding at the
same time. Earlier this year, we also saw the driest February in
30 years followed by the wettest March in 40 years, which
demonstrates how we cannot rely on weather alone to secure
sufficient water resources.
The National Drought Group – which is made up of senior
decision-makers from the Environment Agency, government, the Met
Office, water companies and key farming and environmental groups
– heard that a collaborative approach is needed to improve the
environment and ensure adequate water supplies are available for
people, agriculture, wildlife and the environment.
Environment Agency Chief Executive and NDG Chair, John Curtin,
said:
This spring’s wet weather continues to improve water
availability. But increasingly extreme climate shocks, such as
last summer’s hot and dry spell, can change everything in an
instant.
We need to be better prepared for future climate-driven drought,
as well as learn from what we have already experienced. That is
why government, regulators, water companies and all water users
will continue to work together, using the latest science and best
practice, to ensure our water resources are prepared for more
extreme events in the future.
Water Minister said:
Whilst recent rain has been a relief for many, it is crucial that
we all work together to ease pressures on our precious water
supply and increase resilience to drought - everyone has an
important role to play.
The government will continue to work collaboratively with the
Environment Agency and industry, and through our Plan for Water,
we are ensuring key water supply infrastructure such as
reservoirs can be built more quickly. Water companies must better
deliver for customers, step up their water resource planning
efforts and take precautionary steps to ensure water resilience.
The natural environment continues to take time to recuperate from
the impacts of last summer and the Environment Agency is also
focusing ongoing efforts on monitoring how well fish and
invertebrates are recovering from drought. As of 16 May, the
total reservoir capacity across England was at 92%. This compares
with 49% at the end of September 2022, when reservoirs were at
their lowest following the drought through summer. Almost all
river flows are normal or higher for this time of year.
National Drought Group members are continuing to plan ahead in
case of another unprecedented summer and are managing water
resources to reduce the risk of drought measures being required
again this year.
National Drought Group members heard that:
- With climate change causing the UK’s weather patterns to
become increasingly unpredictable, we must act now whilst we’re
in an improved position to help secure our water resources into
the future.
- Water companies, retailers and regulators must learn from the
response to the 2022 drought and plan ahead to better respond to
future droughts. They are expected to demonstrate more actions to
help conserve water in areas of drought for the benefit of
customers, other water users and the environment.
- The Environment Agency, Defra, the National Farmers Union and
the agriculture sector have worked together to plan support for
farmers in East Anglia. This includes regular updates on the
prospects for irrigation and the Environment Agency introducing
water abstraction e-alerts to help optimise water availability. A
new multi-sector Water Resources East Dry Weather Group will meet
regularly and work together to collectively help identify local
opportunities for support.
