Seventeen professional bodies, including the Chartered Institution for Water and Environmental Management, are calling on the Government to use their expertise to develop a long-term flood strategy for the UK as a matter of urgency.

In an open letter published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper this morning, the organisations, which between them represent engineers, hydrologists, ecologists, landscape architects, architects and other specialists with the experience necessary to tackle flooding, said:

“We would like the Government to be aware that the expertise of our professions is available and, we believe, urgently required.”

“While we are pleased to hear that the Prime Minister will provide leadership and funding, it is essential that government actions are based on best practice developed over many years.”

The letter says that water management techniques could have helped prevent the effect of recent flooding and that while emergency measures are in order for the immediate crisis, in the long term a clear strategy for the management of water is required. A range of measures needed to be in place, including:

• how forestry, land management and soft-engineered flood alleviation schemes can hold back water in the upper reaches of rivers, and how dredging may assist in the lower reaches.
• sustainable drainage systems to be fitted comprehensively for both existing buildings and all new buildings.
• buildings and land that cannot be properly protected should be made resilient to withstand flooding. all new housing on flood plains to be resilient when built.

The organisations are calling on the Prime Minister to convene a cross-departmental conference on the issue without delay, including the professions, with the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Communities, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales.