Green's Flood Warning

22nd January 2008

Green Councillor Bernard Little has said that last year's floods were part of the trend predicted by the the United Nations climate change scientists. He added that we need to spend money on prevention not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Coun Little said, "The flooding in Sheffield was just one of a record
206 floods recorded last year. This compares with an annual average of
172 floods between 2000 and 2006. What we saw in Sheffield is consistent with the predictions of more floods made by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

"We have got to get used to more extreme weather events. Global disaster prevention organisations are saying that for every £1 spent on disaster prevention, an estimated £4 to £7 could be saved in reconstruction costs.

"Carrying on as if this is a 1 in 100 year episode is burying our head in the sand. We should be applying the lessons learned in June to help prevent a disaster like this happening again. We need to take a root and branch look at how we manage our water both on agricultural and urban land. We need solutions such as changes in farming practice and and less tarmac in urban areas to reduce flooding and would like to see nature conservation bodies playing a statutory role in managing the whole of the river system.

Cllr Bernard Little is among many councillors asking questions at the three scrutiny boards this week looking at the lessons to be learned from the June floods.

ENDS

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