By Abdullahi Lukman
The UK government is establishing a new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce to strengthen the country’s preparedness for extreme weather, improve coordination among key sectors and ensure communities have a greater role in shaping resilience policies.
The taskforce will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, bringing together Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy and representatives from more than 50 organisations, including the Environment Agency, Met Office, local mayoral authorities, fire and rescue services, farmers, water companies and insurers.
The meeting will focus on the country’s preparedness for potential winter flooding, lessons from the ongoing drought and measures to improve responses to both hazards. Officials said preparations for flooding have improved compared with last year.
The initiative comes after the UK experienced a wet winter followed by a prolonged, hot summer that triggered its third drought in five years and the driest July in almost 200 years. Authorities are now anticipating a wetter and more intense winter.
The government said the taskforce would bring together expertise to assess risks, strengthen emergency preparedness and develop a long-term strategy for protecting communities, businesses and the wider economy.
Residents affected by flooding and drought will also be consulted, with community-based organisations helping to ensure their experiences inform future decisions.
Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy said the government was adopting a coordinated approach to managing water-related risks as extreme weather events become more challenging.
She added that the initiative would complement the existing National Drought Group, which will continue coordinating the operational response to drought, while sharing its expertise with the new taskforce to support longer-term planning.
The government has committed at least £10.5 billion to flood protection between 2024 and 2036 under what it describes as the largest flood defence programme in English history.
For the 2026/27 financial year, £1.4 billion is being allocated to building and repairing flood defences. The government estimates that every £1 invested in flood protection prevents approximately £8 in economic damage.
Additional measures to address drought include efforts to reduce water company leakage, a £65 million funding package to help farmers strengthen their resilience and changes to planning rules to make it easier to construct on-site reservoirs.
The government said the new taskforce would help align these interventions with broader efforts to improve water security and ensure the country is better prepared for future floods and droughts.
