October 13, 2025

expert reaction to Environmental Audit Committee’s report ‘Flood resilience in England’

Scientists comment on the EAC (Environmental Audit Committee) report on ‘Flood Resilience in England’.

Sam Gould, director of policy and external affairs at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) said:

“Implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act is the quickest thing that the government can do to help manage flood risk. It’s good to see that the Environmental Audit Committee has echoed the ICE’s call for this to happen.

“It’s also positive that the Committee understands the importance of locally led catchment-based planning and the need for long-term funding for flood resilience.

“The government should implement the EAC’s recommendation as soon as possible. Climate change is here, and flood risk is rising – too many people do not understand the risks of flooding to their lives, homes and businesses, so this is a matter that needs urgent action. The government’s ambition to build 1.5m homes only makes it more pressing.

“Nature based solutions and structural flood defences, prioritised with evidence-based needs and supported by clear leadership and long-term funding are what’s needed to address this problem.

“Increased capital investment for flood resilience and the greater focus on maintenance outlined in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy are steps in the right direction, but time is of the essence.” 

Declared interests:

Sam Gould: “The ICE submitted written evidence earlier in the year, and held a roundtable with the EAC.  Both our evidence and the fact we supported EAC with the roundtable are mentioned in their final report.”