National Farmers' Union calls for strategy to manage flood risk in the UK

"Flooding manifesto" developed by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has called for long-term strategic plans from the Government and its agencies to mitigate future flood risk.

The plans should include proper financial resources to manage the extreme weather such as flooding, to improve the resilience of the farmland from those events. The manifesto states, that it is "clear" that climate change has a "detrimental effect" on the future of flood events, causing them to be more frequent and intense. 

The NFU key policy asks include:

• Plan - more long-term planning to recognise the increased frequency of extreme weather events, with help from farmer and stakeholder knowledge;
• Protect - recognise the importance and value of farmland, protect and enhance the environment and infrastructure;
• Pay - appropriate funding of water and flood management in river and coastal areas, Government spending must be transparent and the artificial distinction between capital and maintenance expenditure removed.

Deputy president at the NFU, Minette Batters, said: "Agriculture is often at the mercy of extreme and changeable weather and this winter has thrown up a number of severe storms. Just weeks ago forecasters predicted a storm surge up and down the east coast. This demonstrates clearly why Government and its agencies must have the necessary long-term plans in place, including the right financial resources, to deal with future weather events that take into consideration the increased frequency and severity of storms that we have all experienced in recent years".

She added: "Through this manifesto we have looked to provide solutions on how farmers can work with other stakeholders to help improve the resilience of rural areas to flooding".