This research project considers projections of future flood risk for the UK. It was commissioned by the Adaptation Sub-Committee to inform its work on the 2017 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment evidence report.
It finds that:
- significant additional investment and adaptation action will be needed to counter the increase in UK flood risk projected under a 2°C rise in global mean temperatures
- even the most ambitious adaptation scenarios will not be able to avoid the large increase in UK flood risk implied by a 4°C rise in global temperatures
- long stretches of current coastal flood defence structures in England will become highly vulnerable to failure as sea levels rise, making it increasingly more difficult and costly to manage the risk of widespread coastal inundation
Supporting information
- Appendix A Supporting data sets
- Appendix B Population growth projections
- Appendix C Climate change projections
- Appendix D Groundwater analysis approach
- Appendix E Individual adaptation measures
- Appendix F The Future Flood Explorer Overview
- Appendix G Validity of present day and future risks
- Appendix H Additional supporting tables absolute values
- Appendix I External review comments and responses
Topics