Flooding: It's Time for an Individual Response

As my car immobiliser suffers from water damage due to Renault’s somewhat lacklustre attempt at engineering I cannot help think of the plight of others within the UK. We are in a severe situation as the Governor of the Bank of England has mentioned that the effects on those flooded will influence the UK’s economic situation. Forgive me for taking on the often quoted Darwinian phrase but is it ‘survival of the fittest’ when we consider flooding?

Flooding has become an issue that this nation continues to suffer from and the future does not appear to be forgiving. As a nation we are over-populated and continuing to place houses on flood plains is common alongside a form of flood defence to alleviate issues. Yet, as humans are we taking a step too far? Can nature truly be restrained?

Simply, yes we are fighting a battle we cannot win. Nature has no master, is relentless, and attempting to build large-scale flood defences has had limit success. The failed flood defences of Ruthin, North Wales in late 2012 offer a typical example of these ineffective solutions.

The UK seems to have limited solutions to this issue as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) wrote a consultation paper in 2013 to ensure ‘property insurance continues to be widely available and affordable in areas of flood risk in the UK’. This is a resolution rather than prevention to flooding.

Flooding is only going to get worse

From a macro consideration the world is consistently impacting human activity yet other states have learnt to adapt. Japan is afflicted by earthquakes and has adopted measures to reduce the damage it can bring. Surely we should adopt a similar response.

But it is not a national response but an individual response. We need to move on from a reliance on state because in this present economic situation the state can do very little. If you live in a flood-prone area it may be time to adapt. We cannot consistently rely on insurance (though you should check if you can get it!) You must research the area before you move there to prepare yourself for the eventuality.

This is a good video on how a couple in Oxford have adapted

It’s time to leave the government and the economy to deal with the plight of farmers as their entire life is at risk. Damning rivers or stopping floods flooding the flood plains can only logically cause issues. Consider how you can make your homes more resistant and check out the area before you move. It may be ‘picturesque’ now but it will not be when 3ft of water comes smashing through the door. It won’t even knock.