Sussex Wildlife Trust: House building on floodplains is '˜nonsensical'
He is also concerned about the misconception that flooding equals lack of dredging is causing upset and confusion, as well as bizarre claims that rivers are being left un-dredged to protect wildlife.
In fact, the opposite is the case, as careful management of river catchments reduces flood risk downstream with the added bonus of encouraging a rich and varied wildlife.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn a statement released by the Henfield-based trust this week, Dr Whitbread said: “How we manage river valleys can increase, or reduce, the flood risk to people living downstream.
“Building hard flood defences, concreting land, woodland removal and river dredging upstream increases flood risk.
“But, allowing flood plains to flood, and then slowly releasing water afterwards, reduces the height of a river in flood when we experience huge amounts or persistent rainfall.
“Water has to go somewhere; if we defend or dredge one area then the water will just go somewhere else.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“If we prevent flood plains from flooding (there’s a clue in the name!) then water will move to the next weak point, often an urban area.”
He continued: “In Sussex, there are now many examples of landowners doing woodland planting, washland creation and river re-naturalisation to reduce flood risk and benefit wildlife.
“What is needed is good government policy and financial packages to enable it to happen on a large scale.
“There is a place for dredging and hard defences but within a far more sophisticated approach to managing the whole catchment.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFor more information visit: https://www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/flooding-the-inconvenient-truth
Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.
Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.
1) Make our website your homepage
2) Like our Facebook page
3) Follow us on Twitter
4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.
And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!
Always the first with your local news.
Be part of it.