Can floods and droughts occur at the same time?  Yes, they are both part of the same issue, according to Jacob Tompkins, Director of Waterwise a national body focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010 and building the evidence base for large scale water efficiency.

It seems like only yesterday when we were all preparing for standpipes on the street and being told to use water wisely by turning off the tap when brushing teeth, using hippos and taking shorter showers.  And currently almost half of England is underwater due to excessive flooding from extreme storm rainfall events.  Is there a chance these two climatic extremes are linked?  Yes - ironically, almost half a million people in flooded areas are without drinking water.

The summer of 2006 was the driest summer in 100 years with widespread areas of the UK suffering from extreme drought.  April 2007 was the warmest April on record in the United Kingdom, with an average temperature of 10.2C - a 3.4C increase from the 1961 – 1990 average and a maximum temperature of 26.6 degrees.  Only two months later, in June and July, the UK experienced its wettest summer since records began with widespread flooding throughout north and south England and Wales.

So what does this new climate really mean and how are we to react if we are to live sustainably in the future?

The British weather is changing and becoming more extreme. This means that we will see more droughts and floods in future and even both at the same time.  Both floods and droughts put increased stress on water resources and threaten supply systems.  Using water wisely can help reduce the effects of both these extremes.

Even during extreme rainfall events, we should all try to save water and waste less.  In fact, saving water can help save us from extreme flooding.  Whilst it is clear we should not build in the floodplain, we can all help reduce the impact of floods by making small behavioural changes in our own homes.

One way of doing this is to install a water butt to reduce the impacts of heavy rainfall.  Floods occur as a result of extreme precipitation and are worse in built up areas as more water pours off roofs and patios and along impermeable paved front gardens.  We can all help reduce the flood risk by slowing the water down.  By capturing runoff water from your roof in a water butt we can reduce the impacts of heavy rainfall on the environment and therefore reduce flooding.  We can then use the water when the dry times return.

In addition, try not to pave over your entire front garden as this increases water run off and creates further flooding.  Use permeable surfaces like lawns and well composted soils to allow the water to soak into the ground.  This may seem trivial but when a river is about to break its banks, every drop of water saved at home can reduce the flood peak and prevent a disaster.

Practicing water efficiency protects the sewerage system too.  During floods the sewerage system works overtime to treat and pump the excess water that overfills the sewers. Small behavioural changes like not running the tap when you brush your teeth, reducing your toilet flush volume or taking shorter showers mean that less water goes to the sewers and reduces the chance of sewage overflows.

As our streets and gardens dry out and the weather warms up again we could quite easily see drought conditions return in the summer of next year.  This is climate change and we will not only continue to experience floods and droughts, but will also see an increase in the frequency and severity of such adverse weather conditions.  We need to act now to adapt our lifestyles to live in harmony with a changing climate.  

We cannot rely on 19th Century solutions to a 21st Century problem.  Simply building more reservoirs and flood defences is not enough and we need to respect and value water.

Jacob Tompkins