Published 07 February 2007 at 11:07, updated 11:30

More cash for flood defences, says EA chair

More needs to be spent, on a 20-year investment programme of flood defences building, to keep up with climate change, according to Environment Agency (EA) chair Sir John Harman in an address to the EA board in Bristol.

Referring to the new IPCC report, Harman said: "The new international scientific assessment leaves no reason for doubt or fudging about climate change – it’s real and happening now.

"We need to invest more in adapting to climate change and defending communities against flooding. If we leave vulnerable communities undefended, they will end up paying the price in damage to property and risk to life and limb. It’s cheaper and better to invest in flood defences rather than deal with cost and misery."

Harman said that flood defences make good economic sense and a 20-year investment programme would allow the EA to keep up with climate change.

“Analysis of the economics shows that the flood defences we build are terrific value for money. But it also means there are dozens of flood defence schemes that we don’t have the resources to undertake that would reduce damage by many times more than they cost," he said