ABSTRACT
In the United Kingdom, the likely effects of climate change will include increased flood risk as precipitation increases and becomes more intense and there are more extreme weather ‘events’, such as those that caused loss of life and disruption to much of England in the summer of 2007. The probable extent of the financial damage to the UK economy – and the implications for Government spending if the effects are to be reduced – was estimated by the Foresight ‘Future Flooding’ study (Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), 2004). It examined a range of impacts, including sea level rise and storminess, using the climate change projections and scenarios of potential social and economic changes in society generated by the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP). The project found that annual damage from flooding may rise in real terms from around £100 million at present to between £460 million (under the more ‘community orientated’ Local Stewardship scenario) and £2500 million (under the more ‘consumerist’ World Markets scenario) by 2080. The Foresight findings influenced the Government's long term strategy for flood risk and coastal erosion, ‘Making Space for Water’ (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) 2005).
