A Flood Risk Communities Charter was launched last night, Tuesday 5^th November, in the Houses of Parliament at an event sponsored by Rachael Maskell MP and supported by Flood Re.  It sets out the priorities that communities across the country feel need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Watch Video Here

Flooding devastates lives

Communities living at risk of flooding have a right to lives not dominated by the fear of flooding.  To achieve this:

1. Our nation’s ambition to tackle flood risk, in the face of climate change, needs to increase dramatically
2. Decisions that affect communities must be made with their involvement.
3. We must act now – there is a role for everyone

Paul Cobbing, Chief Executive of the National Flood Forum said, “Recent flooding of hundreds of homes has emphasised yet again how flooding wrecks people’s lives.  We know that climate change is likely to put many more families and businesses at risk.  Acting now is essential.

Hundreds of people at risk of flooding from Flood Action Groups across England and Wales have worked together over the last two years to identify the issues that matter to them the most.  With the help of Flood Re the Lets’ Talk About Flooding programme supported the development of a Charter that sets out flood risk communities’ priorities.

Communities demand that:

1. Communities are at the heart of flood risk management
2. Strategic coordination is needed across places and organisations
3. Action must address the economic, mental and physical wellbeing and life-chance impacts of flooding
4. Our approach to water management is comprehensive and integrated
5. We recognise the need to adapt to climate change – thinking should always be for the long term

In communities across the country people are showing amazing leadership in tackling flood risk, bringing organisations together, developing and implementing projects, campaigning for change, taking practical action.  However, communities recognise that many more people will become at risk of flooding in the future.  We need to become much more ambitious in our approach and we need to act now.

That is why hundreds of people from across England and Wales have together developed this Communities’ Flood Risk Charter, facilitated by the National Flood Forum.

Editors’ Notes

About the Let’s Talk About Flooding events

Flood Re and the National Flood Forum ran the ‘Let’s Talk About Flooding’ campaign between November 2018 and March 2019. The series of events provided a chance for those working and living in flood risk areas to meet and share their experiences, issues and concerns they have around flooding with each other. The priorities that people identified in these sessions were taken to form the NFF Flood Risk Charter. The tour visited Birmingham (November 2018), Kent (November 2018) and Lancaster (March 2019). More information can be found here.

The National Flood Forum

For further information about the National Flood Forum, live quotes or interviews contact:

Paul Cobbing, Chief Executive, National Flood Forum Mobile: 0777 3355 181 Email: paul.cobbing@floodforum.org.uk

The National Flood Forum is a national charity dedicated to supporting and representing communities and individuals at risk of flooding.  We do this by:

1. Supporting people to prepare for flooding to prevent it or mitigate its impacts
2. Helping people to recover their lives if they have been flooded
3. Campaigning on behalf of flood risk communities by working with government and agencies to ensure that their concerns are properly addressed

The National Flood Forum believes that tackling flooding should be a national priority for all of Government.

Approximately 6.4 million people in the UK live in flood prone areas, with around 1.5 million (23.4%), living in the 20% most vulnerable neighbourhoods. This is set to increase by 45% to 10.8 million by the 2080s, assuming high population growth (Sayers et al, 2017 Present and future flood vulnerability, risk and disadvantage: A UK scale assessment).  If combined with a high emissions climate change scenario and assuming current approaches to adaptation continue, 6.4 million vulnerable people will be exposed to frequent flooding, up from 1.5 million (an increase of over 200%). Therefore, the expected rate of increase of people at risk of flooding in the UK, by the 2080s, is 45% whilst the expected rate for vulnerable people is 200%.

20% suffer from depression; 28% suffer from anxiety; 36% affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.  The impact of flooding is most acutely experienced in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods: Impacts of flooding on people (Jacqui Cotton, 2017) and Flooding Resilience in Disadvantaged Areas (Environment Agency Briefing Note, 9 March 2017).

Flooding hits health and wealth of communities.  The effect on the local economy, particularly housing markets and small businesses, can last for years and blight severely affected areas.  Older and vulnerable people may never recover, in health or financially, and there is a significant cost to public services

Helpline for advice on flooding issues– 01299 403055,

Website for information and contacts – www.floodforum.org.uk

 

For further information about Flood Re

For further information please contact Max Kelly at floodre@hanovercomms.com or +44 7590120533.

About Flood Re

Flood Re exists to promote the affordability and availability of flood insurance for households across the UK. Flood Re’s operation promotes a competitive insurance market that customers can take advantage of. Flood Re does not set consumer prices – this remains a decision for insurers to make.

Insurers can place the flood risk element of domestic property insurance with Flood Re at a premium linked to property Council Tax bands. Flood Re sits in the background, with the purchase of the policy and the process of making a claim being unchanged.

The scheme launched on 4 April 2016 as an independent body that is privately owned and operated, whilst also being publicly accountable, and insurers are now making use of it to benefit their customers.

Flood Re has a rating of A- “stable” outlook by Standard and Poor’s, one of the world’s leading independent credit ratings agencies. Flood Re is regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number: 706046).