Why is Britain flooded while Holland isn't?

[AtW]

Are they still deciding on whether to have hose ban this year or not?

[darmstadt]

Are they still deciding on whether to have hose ban this year or not?

Not yet: Environment Agency - Current water status

[AtW]

Not yet: Environment Agency - Current water status

"None of our regions are currently in drought and the water resources status is normal."

How is it normal in Somerset?

[VectraMan]

Remember 2012 when we had drought warnings and flood warnings at the same time?

[Bunk]

Remember 2012 when we had drought warnings and flood warnings at the same time?

Wrong type of water innit

[AtW]

Wrong type of water innit

Wet?

[Mich the Tester]

Have you watched that documentary on the NOS about the floods in Somerset? One of the villagers screamed: "Please Dutch! You helped us 300 years ago, you could help us again now."

I am not sure what he was referring to but apparently river flood control dates back to 300 years ago and was done by Dutch engineers.

Ah yes, that's a bit of contracting history. King William III of England (also William II of Scotland) was a cloggy; he was the Prince of Orange, hired on an interim management contract by English protestants to take the throne of the catholic Jimmy the Second and lead the 'Glorious Revolution' and bring in the English Bill of Rights. All well and good but being concerned about his IR35 status he felt he needed another gig on the side and picked a big scrap in Ireland where Jimmy was still king and slaughtered a load of catholics, and unfortunately Britain and Ireland still don't really see eye to eye on the little matter of some place called Boing, or Boyne. So in a way he helped and he did indeed bring some engineers to shift water around, but being a cloggy he left a bit of a mess behind in Ireland because he had a bout of 'grootheidswaan', or delusions of grandeur. So I think the villager might be referring to Willy the Third.

There you are, an alternative history lesson showing the potential of IR35 and flooding to cause 300 years of internecine warfare. Don't say I didn't warn you.

[EternalOptimist]

I havnt read this thread, so apologies if its been mentioned, but I was gobsmacked yesterday by a photo of the repairs being done to the Dawlish rail line.

see if you can spot what I did (Holland sea defences related)





look at those temporary blocks(caissons) now look at how flimsy the sea wall is

[petergriffin]

The gubbament knew and decided to go on with savage cuts:

https://www.nao.org.uk/report/flood-...nt-in-england/

Giving greater responsibility and discretion to local authorities to identify flood risk and target investment raises significant challenges, especially during a time of budget cuts and other newly devolved responsibilities. Greater value for money can be achieved through these reforms, but key elements of what is required are not yet in place.

Local knowledge of surface water flood risk is far less advanced than national information on risk of flooding from rivers and the sea. Local authorities are experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining appropriately qualified staff. Only 30 per cent of the local authorities the NAO spoke to thought they had the required technical expertise. Local decision-making is hampered by the need to cross-refer between nearly 20 different plans that affect local flood risk management. It is not yet clear how the Department and the Environment Agency will provide assurance nationally that arrangements are working.

The Agency estimates that, owing to climate change and ageing defences, an increase of £20 million is required on average each year between 2011 and 2035 to maintain the current level of flood protection. However, central government funding to the Agency has reduced by 10 per cent over this spending review period compared with the last. If central funding does not increase after 2014-15, maintaining and improving the nation’s flood defences will depend on significant additional funding being secured locally.

[doodab]

You would have thought the fact that somewhere or other ends up under water every year might have given them a hint that the current arrangements weren't up to snuff.