The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee is continuing its inquiry into drought preparedness in England this week by exploring the impacts of drought on the urban and rural environment, species, infrastructure, and the economy.

The session will take place from 10am on Wednesday 19 November - witnesses appearing before the Committee are:

• Kathryn Brown OBE, Director of Climate Change and Evidence, The Wildlife Trusts;
• Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation, UK Green Building Council;
• Callum Ellis, Head of Climate Resilience, Marsh Advisory.

Questions from the committee will cover the following areas:

• understanding and awareness of drought risk across sectors;
• ecological impacts of drought and vulnerability of different habitats;
• the main impacts of drought on buildings and the urban environment;
• interventions to reduce the severity of the environmental and urban impacts of drought;
• the economic costs of drought and how these risks are accounted for by businesses and the insurance sector;
• data sharing on drought impacts.

The Committee’s call for evidence for the inquiry is currently still open - the aims of the inquiry are to:

• Understand how drought will affect England in the short- and long-term, particularly in response to climate change.
• Evaluate how effective drought response plans and processes are, including coordination and communication at national, regional and local level.
• Clarify how drought actions are prioritised
• Identify the opportunities for improved drought preparedness and response.

Key questions the committee is seeking evidence on include:

• What are the potential risks of increased drought in England to: the urban, industrial, and rural environment; people, species and habitats; and the economy?
• How effective are drought response protocols in England, both before a drought has been declared and once a drought is underway? Are there opportunities for improvement?
• What are the potential economic costs of drought management actions that may be needed in the future?
• What lessons can be learnt from other countries about managing rapid or severe droughts? What innovative solutions or technological approaches to water management are being deployed in other countries to improve drought resilience and preparedness?
• Are emerging sources of future water demand, such as new housing, data centres, industry and energy processes, adequately accounted for in water resource planning and drought plans? What impact might these sources of future demand have on drought risk?
• How should the Government consider drought management alongside its other priorities such as nature restoration, food security, flood management and expansion of artificial intelligence?

Click here to watch the latest evidence session live or afterwards via Parliament TV

Deadline to submit evidence to the inquiry is Monday 24 November 2025 – click here for further information and details of how to participate