Due to the enormous economic importance of the Humber Estuary and the scale of tidal flood risk, the Environment Agency (EA) and 12 Local Authorities from around the Humber, are working in partnership to develop a strategy that will address the risk and enable sustainable growth now and for the next 100 years.
Humber 2100+ focuses on the area around the Humber where flooding from the sea is the main source of flood risk. Other strategies identify ways of managing different sources of flooding such as from overtopping of rivers and heavy rainfall.
A tidal surge in 2013 caused visible movement of some earthen defences, leading to a programme of reactive recovery works, and residual concern that vulnerabilities may exist amongst the 194 ageing assets in the system. A proactive approach to planned maintenance is needed, allowing well-timed investment to uphold asset condition, whilst making the most of strategic opportunities for partnership funding, and efficient delivery in terms of both cost and carbon.
With a large populaton, thousands of businesses, and thousands of hectares of land, a large portion of these are at risk of tidal flooding during an extreme flood event. The area consists of critical road, rail and pipeline infrastructure and is an important industrial area and trade gateway, the Humber is also the UK's 'Energy Estuary', connected to around 25% of UK energy whether through direct generation or in the import and export of fuels, vital to keeping the UK moving.
The Humber Estuary is also an internationally important natural asset for people and wildlife, particularly for overwintering birds, and has valuable intertidal habitat like saltmarsh which can reduce the impact of severe floods.
The current flood risk management strategy, 'Planning for the Rising Tides' was put in place in 2008 and took a strategic approach to managing flood risk on the Humber. Over £150m has been invested in flood defence improvements in recent years as a result of the current Strategy, improving the standard of protection to 70,000 properties.
The 2013 tidal surge gave the EA better evidence for how flood water will behave, and that has made the case for a new Strategy. The Humber 2100+ partnership is working together, in association with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Natural England and Internal Drainage Boards, to develop a strategy that will reinforce the EA's long term ambition for a prosperous Humber with a world class economy and a world class environment, which is a safe and sustainable place to live, work and visit.
The local authorities partnered with the EA. Picture from EA.