A Radical Approach to Flooding in the UK: Give Land Back to the Sea

1 minggu yang lalu

You person a preview position of this article while we are checking your access. When we person confirmed access, nan afloat article contented will load.

The rainfall has fallen for what feels for illustration 2 years straight: successful drizzles, successful showers and, pinch troubling regularity, successful downpours. The upwind has ever been Britain’s favourite taxable of conversation. The clouds are familiar. Increasingly, though, they are besides a threat.

In September, a month’s rainfall fell successful a azygous day successful immoderate parts of England. The 18 months to March 2024 were England’s wettest successful recorded history. Even connected an land that has built astatine slightest portion of its personality astir tolerating inclement weather, it has been intolerable to disregard nan deluge. Flooding has submerged fields, ruined homes, and astatine times, cut disconnected full villages.

As oversea levels emergence and utmost upwind becomes much common, experts opportunity that Britain’s accepted defenses — oversea walls, tidal barriers and sandbanks — will beryllium insufficient to meet nan threat. It is not alone: successful September, deadly floods successful Central Europe led to nan deaths of astatine slightest 23 people.

But connected a tendril of onshore curling retired from nan seashore of Somerset, successful southwestern England, a squad of scientists, engineers and conservationists person embraced a extremist solution.

Two swans swimming done a h2o channel, pinch a wall of grasses connected 1 side.

Image

Alys Laver, a conservationist, oversees nan wetlands astatine Steart Marshes.

The representation locates nan Steart Marshes, successful Somerset County, England, betwixt nan River Parrett and nan Bristol Channel. It besides locates Hinkley Point C, westbound of nan metropolis of Steart, and nan marshlands.