‘Sponge’ roads will combat flooding as part of £150million package in England
INNOVATIVE measures such as “sponge” road surfaces and groundwater alert apps are to be tested in a bid to tackle flooding.
A £150million fund is to be shared between 25 projects aiming to improve waterway defences and coastal resilience across England.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs package follows Storm Christoph’s devastating floods in areas such as Tirley in Gloucestershire in February.
Schemes include subtidal oyster reefs and seagrass near South Tyneside and an app to warn residents about the threat posed by groundwater in Buckinghamshire.
It forms part of the Government’s Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme – an effort to develop and test new ways of tackling coastal erosion and mainland flooding. It will be managed by the Environment Agency.
Exciting
Environment minister Rebecca Pow said the Government has pledged to invest £5.2billion in 2,000 new flood and coastal defences over the next six years, adding that “long-term approaches to improve communities’ resilience” is vital in the face of a changing climate.
She said: “These 25 projects will not only help to inform future approaches to prepare communities for flooding and coastal change across the country, but also help reinforce the UK’s position as a world leader in innovation and new technology as we build back better.”
In Northumberland, artificial intelligence and new sensor technology
will be used to detect rising water levels. In Cornwall sand dunes will be protected and salt marshes are to be restored.
The Chinese “sponge city” concept will be trialled in Slough,
Berkshire. This involves the use of permeable roads to soak up surface water, along with natural vegetation to improve drainage.
Emma Howard Boyd, who chairs the Environment Agency, said the project was “extremely exciting” and could be replicated on a larger scale around the world by sharing at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, which Britain is hosting in November.
She said: “The innovation programme is extremely exciting as it begins to put new aspects of the national flood and coastal erosion risk strategy to the test.
“What we learn will inform our approach to the climate crisis in the coming decades and it’s something to tell our international partners about at COP26.
“I’m particularly interested in the projects that test the ability of nature-based projects to generate revenue.
“If successful, these could be scaled up by private finance around the world, helping to prepare for climate shocks, restore nature and create jobs.”