Report highlights major threat from coastal flooding

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) warned that the east coast was particularly vulnerable, and that more investment in coastal defences is urgently needed. A 40cm rise in sea levels could happen as soon as 2040, it claimed.

The report - 'Coastal flood risk -thinking for tomorrow, acting today' - assessed the threat from rising sea levels and examined the impact on the east coast and in particular on Hull, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, Southend, east London and Hastings.

The research was carried out by Entec UK, one of the UK's largest environment and engineering consultancies, in collaboration with Risk Management Solutions and Risk & Policy Analysts.

It concluded that a 40 cm rise in sea levels would put an extra 130,000 properties at risk of flooding. In Hull alone, 19,000 properties could suffer serious flooding, and 24,000 properties in Scotland. Without improvements to existing flood defences, the cost of a major coastal flood could soar by 400% and cost as much as £16 billion.

'Investment now'

Essential services and lives would also be put at risk, according to the report. As many as 15% of fire and ambulance stations and 12% of hospitals and schools lie within flood-risk areas.

The ABI said an extra £8 billion needed to be spent over the next 25-30 years to improve coastal defences along the East Coast.

Stephen Haddrill, director general of the ABI said: "Climate change is happening now, and we need to act now to manage it. Flooding is expensive, disruptive and distressing. This report shows that Britain needs a sustained and prolonged investment in coastal flood defences. This investment needs to start now."

According to the report, a major storm affecting the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft area would currently lead to around 1,000 properties suffering from serious flooding. A 40 cm sea level rise could increase the number of at risk properties to 17,600 and overall coasts to £578 million.

Natural processes

Environment Agency chief executive Baroness Young commented: "We have to manage the growing flood risk we face from the impacts of already unavoidable climate change.

"Flood defences are one of the Environment Agency's highest priorities and all the research, including the latest from the ABI, shows that more investment is needed for flood risk management."

She added: "The Government has a good track record in managing flood risk. However, in order to continue to provide the level of flood protection needed along the east and south coasts and to meet the challenges of rising sea levels and increased storms, funding levels will not only need to be maintained but increased over the next few years."

Climate change minister Ian Pearson said: "Adapting to the consequences of climate change is already a key

consideration in managing the risks of flooding. We know that sea levels are rising and this will get worse over time.

"This why we need to work with natural processes rather than against them and also ensure that those responsible for designing flood defences adapt to the long term term impacts of climate change."

A report last month from the Institution of Civil Engineers, which examined the state of the UK's infrastructure, concluded that Britain needed to reduce its reliance on flood-defence measures and prevent inappropriate development in flood-risk areas.