July 29, 2026

expert reaction to drought declared in parts of England

Scientists comment on the Environment Agency declaring droughts in parts of England.

Dr Jess Neumann, University of Reading, said:

“Today’s drought declaration by The Environment Agency (EA) reflects the cumulative effects of months of below-average rainfall, rather than just the recent hot weather.

“There is no one definition of drought. It refers to a lack of rainfall (meteorological drought); low soil moisture which impacts plant and crop growth (agricultural drought); and impacts to the wider water environment including low flows in rivers, falling reservoir levels and declining groundwater levels (hydrological drought).  

“With pressure growing on water supplies, agriculture, freshwater habitats and wildlife across much of the UK, this is a stark reminder that the water we rely on is a finite resource.

“Today’s declaration should be seen not only as a response to current conditions, but as a signal of the need to build greater resilience into our water systems. That means reducing leakage, improving water efficiency, restoring healthy catchments and planning for floods and droughts together, because these extremes are increasingly two sides of the same climate challenge.”

Professor Hayley J. Fowler, Newcastle University, said:

“We’re entering an era of water extremes: more floods in winter, more droughts in summer, and not enough storage to bridge the gap. If we don’t act now, the taps that ran dry in 1976 could run dry again. This drought isn’t just about a lack of rain. It’s the result of hotter temperatures from a warming climate, rising water demand, ageing infrastructure and too much water being lost through leaks. Britain needs to treat water security as seriously as energy security, because once reservoirs run low, there’s no quick fix. The Climate Change Committee points to even more serious water shortages, with England alone facing a public water supply shortfall of around five billion litres per day by 2055. The warning is clear: climate change is increasing drought risk faster than we’re adapting our water infrastructure.”

Professor David M. Hannah, University of Birmingham, said:

“The declaration of drought across half of England highlights the growing impact of climate extremes on our water environment, ecosystems and socio-economic activities. Moving from winter floods to record low rainfall within months demonstrates the urgent need for both immediate water-saving measures and long-term investment in climate resilience.”

Dr Jonathan D. Paul, Royal Holloway, University of London, said:

“The EA’s declaration of drought across much of England will be increasingly commonplace due to the whiplash effects of climate change, which concentrate rainfall in more and more violent, short bursts. Unlike the recent heatwaves, which are declared in response to a prescribed number of days above a certain temperature, drought encompasses a greater number of variables and is more subjective, with more serious consequences for the environment and for us. Low river flows and negligible soil moisture have obvious knock-on effects on the ecosystem; soil is more easily eroded and ground subsidence more likely, affecting rail and road infrastructure. In the long term, aquifer depletion could pose an important risk to drinking water supply and to its. Inventive solutions, such as managed aquifer recharge (storing surplus winter surface water underground, where it is less susceptible to evaporation), should increasingly be sought, as the climate of the south of Britain increasingly resembles that of the Mediterranean in summer.”

Professor Richard Allan, University of Reading, said:

“As the climate continues to warm, the atmosphere’s thirst for water grows and this makes drought onset more rapid and severe. 

Human caused climate change is intensifying the water cycle including wet and dry extremes with wilder swings between drought and deluge. This also worsens wildfire as wetter wet periods combined with higher carbon dioxide levels encourage extra vegetation growth, building more fuel for the fire that inevitably rages in subsequent intensely hot, dry episodes. 

It’s only though rapid cuts in greenhouse gases across all sectors of society that more damaging climate extremes can be avoided and this requires a long term strategy, not short term fire fighting.”

Declared interests

Dr Jess Neumann: “None to declare”

Professor Hayley J. Fowler: Hayley J. Fowler advises national government and various industrial sectors on extreme weather and climate change impacts. She receives funding from UKRI, the Royal Society, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Medical Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. She is a member of the UK Climate Change Committee and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Professor David M. Hannah: “For transparency, we work with the EA on various projects and we were involved in the EA “Review of the research and scientific understanding of drought” report https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-research-and-scientific-understanding-of-drought/catchment-processes-during-drought-a-multi-disciplinary-workshop#supplement-to-the-review-of-the-research-and-scientific-understanding-of-drought-report”

Dr Jonathan D. Paul: “No interests to declare”

Professor Richard Allan: “no conflicts of interest”

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.