This is why a national campaign has been initiated – between the 22^nd and 28^th March 2015 – to raise awareness of the importance of conserving water. It is argued that unless we are more careful, and are willing to make some simple lifestyle changes, we could be faced with groundwater depletion, low river flows and disappearing wetlands. Small changes such as shorter showers, ensuring taps are off when not in use, only using washing machines and dishwashers when they are fully loaded, reducing sprinkler use in gardens, and drinking tap water instead of bottled water can make such a difference to individual water use which will not only help the environment but save money too.

There are some areas in the UK that are at higher risk of water shortages. Areas with greater demand for water, such as South East England, also happen to be the areas with less rainfall and a heavier reliance on groundwater for water supply. Short term simple measures, such as increasing public awareness, are important and beneficial. However, more work is being done to investigate long term solutions including water recycling, water metering and desalination plants such as the Thames Water Desalination Plant. Consideration is also being given to more water transfer solutions i.e. a national water grid that re-directs water from places with sufficient water supply to places prone to water shortages. Smaller scale examples of this are already a success in Manchester and Liverpool, which are fed by water supplies from North Wales and the Lake District. It is imperative that long term solutions are explored in order to be prepared for the likely water shortages expected in our future.

This week may be about raising awareness and making small changes that will help with conserving water short term, but it is vital that the UK considers more long term changes in order to prepare for future pressures on water supplies, even after National Water Saving Week is over.

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This is due to a rare alignment of the sun, moon and earth, which happens every 19 years. Tomorrow morning will see the highest astronomical tide level in 25 years, which could strain the current flood defences in place, particularly if adverse weather conditions should coincide with the event.

Last year during an overlap of high tides and low barometric pressure, flood defences were exceeded at many locations in Wales including Amroth (pictured), Aberystwyth and Penarth.

As this article was written, Wales had ten flood alerts, and a further three that had been upgraded to flood warnings in place, with roads being closed this morning amid fears of defences being overtopped. It is thought that the area most at risk is the stretch of coast from The Gower through to the Wye Estuary. Though the high tide peak will be tomorrow morning (Saturday 21^st of February) the threat will not be over, as Britain could be expecting a further five supertides this year due to the rare planetary alignment.

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Here in the UK our summers are getting warmer and drier. Whereas many of us may see this as a benefit, this could in fact be evidence of the extreme weather patterns expected from a warming climate. Unfortunately, extreme weather patterns will not just bring us the advantage of warm summers – we could also expect heat waves and droughts in summers, and in winter we should brace ourselves for more intense and more frequent rainfall, flash floods storms and hurricanes.

Last winter Wales witnessed two of the most devastating storms to hit our coastlines in decades, thousands of lives were affected, hundreds of homes and businesses flooded and millions of pounds of damage caused. The cost of the damage is estimated to be around £11million, with £8 million of damage to coastal defences (NRW, 2014). And we are not just vulnerable to coastal flooding – in 2012 river flooding caused overwhelming damage for communities in Aberystwyth, St Asaph and villages in Ceredigion. Unfortunately, these devastating experiences in recent years are only expected to become more frequent and bigger in scale, particularly as approximately 60% of Wales’ population is situated on coastal fringes, in lowland areas  and on valley floors, many of which lie below the high tide level (Assembly Wales, 2011).

Although little can be done to reverse the effects caused by human activity in recent years , more is being done now to mitigate future climate change. Minimising energy consumption in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is vital. More emphasis is being put on better insulation for homes to reduce energy costs, and renewable energy is more widespread, with more wind farms being erected, solar power panels included in new homes and larger companies looking into wave power. More effort is being put into promoting fuel efficient eco cars, or car use is being discouraged completely through better public transport, congestion charges in cities and supporting local communities in order to reduce the need to travel for work, shopping or other services.

Rising sea level and flooding has also led to better use of land and more sensible and sustainable developments being built, restoring derelict industries and buildings, and building with energy efficient designs. It is now more important than ever to ensure new buildings are not built in flood zones, with flood consequence assessments becoming essential for new development.

It is also crucial that better education and awareness is raised so that future generations are capable of managing the flooding and sea level rise expected in the years to come.

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The report One North: A proposition for an interconnected North sets out a 15-year programme to help rebalance the national economy and to maximise economic growth across the north, boosting transport links. The initiative has been supported by other key cities and regions, including Hull, Bradford, Wakefield and York.

The report’s proposals include:

• Increased road capacity for freight and personal travel through extended managed motorways, addressing gaps in the network and improving links to ports
• An intercity rail network joining up city regions – including a new trans-Pennine route, a faster link to Newcastle and improved access to Manchester Airport.
• Improved regional rail networks to provide additional capacity and help sustain growth, interconnected with HS2 and intercity services plus local tram networks and more park and ride facilities.
• A digital infrastructure enabling real-time information, greater network resilience and faster connections.
• Improved access to enable efficient freight movements by rail, road and water including ports, rail links and distribution centres.
• Building HS2 early – extending phase one to Crewe and bringing forward delivery of HS2 between Leeds and Sheffield.

Improving East/West rail freight capability across the Pennines, linking major ports to north/south rail routes.

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Reforms in the proposal also include:

• Making it easier to convert empty and redundant buildings into homes.
• Relaxing the rules governing change of use for high street shops to “help high streets adapt to changing customer needs”.
• A reduction in the numbers of homes that would be screened for environmental impact assessments
• Proposals for a more flexible and streamlined system can be made where these are beneficial.

Housing and planning minister, Brandon Lewis, said: “The proposals will scrap even more red tape and make it easier to get the homes and shops communities want built, while at the same time breathing new life into our vital industries.”

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This is great news for Seacore. You can read more about it here: http://www.seacore.com/News/301191

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