Climate change means we won't in future be able to engineer our way out of flooding | Hannah Cloke

The Environment Agency could spend its entire budget on flood prevention and Somerset would still be submerged. 'Soft' engineering – using nature – is cheaper and more effectiveThe Environment Agency is battling not only flood water, but a rising tide of criticism. A rural crisis has turned into a political bunfight in which scientific fact plays second fiddle to political expediency.Even some Conservative ministers might think it a bit harsh, and poor spelling, to describe Chris Smith, the Environment Agency's embattled chairman, as a Cnut. But like the 11th century Danish king of England, Lord Smith has shown sound judgment in showing that political rhetoric can do little to turn back the water in the face of overwhelming forces of nature.It's hard for politicians to accept their powerlessness, but we must face up to some unpalatable facts. We are likely to see more extreme weather and more floods – and in areas that aren't expecting them in the future. In the face of a pattern of some of the highest persistent rainfall on record this winter, the Environment Agency could have spent its entire national budget – dredging, landscaping and rebuilding Somerset from the ground up – and the Levels would still have been submerged.It might have been possible to comprehensively flood-proof the 40 homes that were flooded, but the kind of alterations required – re-modelling downstairs rooms and moving living space upstairs – might spoil the homeowners' rural idyll. It mig...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Comment theguardian.com Flooding World news Engineering Technology Natural disasters and extreme weather Climate change UK news Environment Agency Science Comment is free Source Type: news