Pearson calls for big changes to water policy in hottest April on record
Posted: Tuesday 1st May 2007
The UK’s current water policy framework is not robust enough, said environment minister Ian Pearson, as he launched a debate on a new National Water Strategy.
Speaking to an industry audience on the link between climate change and water, Mr Pearson called for preconceptions and policies to change to meet the increasing challenges posed by changing climate, housing patterns and lifestyles.
"With the wettest autumn and winter since 1914, the threat of water shortages this summer looks unlikely,” he said.
"But this April average temperatures in the UK look likely to be at record highs, so there is no room for complacency. England and Wales already have less water per person than in most Mediterranean countries. In the south east there is less water per person than in Syria or the Sudan. And that is the situation today. As demographic changes and the impacts of climate change increasingly begin to be felt, the situation could become even more serious.
"Last year’s drought was a microcosm of the challenges we will face. Along with the science on future climate impacts it has convinced me that our current water policy framework will not be robust enough to withstand these challenges. I believe it is vital that as water companies and regulators plan ahead for the next 25 years, Government is providing them with a strong new sense of direction, ambition and priority.”
