Transcript File - Healthy Planet UK

Responding to the risk of
flooding
Andrew Watkinson
School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia
[email protected]
Flooding
Flood risk represents a combination of the probability of the
occurrence with its potential consequences
Managing the risk
Foresight flood risk
2005: £575m per year
2035: £1 billion per year
But ..... Flooding from intense rainfall events
Source: Evans et al. 2004
Climate Change Risk Assessment
• The global climate is changing and
warming will continue over the next
century
• The UK is already vulnerable to
extreme weather, including flooding and
heatwaves
• Flood risk is projected to increase
significantly across the UK
• UK water resources are projected to
come under increased pressure
• Potentially, there are health benefits as
well as threats related to climate
change, affecting the most vulnerable
groups in our society
• Sensitive ecosystems are likely to come
under increasing pressure
• etc
National Adaptation Programme
Actions to address flood risk
Implement FCERM Strategy for England
Defra/EA
Secure, with industry, new arrangements for flood insurance
beyond 2013
Government/industry
Develop Local Flood Risk Management strategies that set out
the approach to managing local flood risk and consider the
effect of future climate change and the increasing severity of
weather events
Lead Local Flood
Authorities/EA
Actions to promote climate resilience in the health and social care system
1. To reduce the risk of death and illness associated with severe weather
events and climate change and increase preparedness and resilience to the
impacts on public health.
2. To promote climate resilience within the NHS, public health and social care
system to ensure continuity of services and resilient assets/estates,
including the ability to deal with the increased demand for services
associated with severe weather related events.
Health Impacts
Direct
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Drowning
Physical injury
Diarrhoeal disease
Vector- and rodent-borne diseases
Chemical contamination
Respiratory infections
Skin/eye infections
Mental health
Indirect
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Damage to health care infrastructure and loss of essential drugs
Damage to water and sanitation infrastructure
Damage to crops and/or disruption of food supplies
Damage/destruction of property
Disruption of livelihood and income
Population displacement
Source: Ahern and Kovats 2006
Thinking through the adaptation response