How could the widespread drought and water shortages affect the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs?
DEFRA faces pressure to ease rules for farm water storage amid drought The severe drought and low reservoir levels across England have prompted parliamentary debate regarding water resilience. This has led to calls from peers and agricultural groups for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to ease specific regulatory hurdles, such as drought permitting systems, permitted development rights, and abstraction licensing. This pressure stems from the need to accelerate the construction of on-farm reservoirs, which are seen as vital for adapting agriculture to climate change and securing water supplies during dry periods. While DEFRA has announced £65M in investment to help farmers build resilience, the political urgency demands a review of current permitting processes.
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How it reaches Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Widespread drought across England has caused severe operational issues for major water companies, including Anglian Water, Southern Water, and Thames Water. As of early October, reservoir storage in many catchments was below half of normal levels. Parliamentarians debated water resilience, noting that reservoir storage across England stood at 60.1% as of November 3, 17% below average for the time of year.
The full event2independent outlets -
The low level of water in England’s reservoirs, which stood at 60.1% (17% below average) as of 3 November, has triggered calls for farmers to build more on-farm storage capacity. This is necessary to adapt high-value cropping to climate change and secure water supplies during dry periods. Following the debate in the House of Lords, political figures urged the government to help growers by easing the drought permitting system, permitted development rights, and abstraction licensing. This pressure is driven by the fact that only 34 reservoirs with above-ground capacity over 25,000 m3 were built in the last five years, far short of the 450 needed annually by 2050.
1 report connects these two. Brind only summarizes; follow a link to read the reporting itself.
- newcivilengineer.com Wednesday
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agriculture ministry of United Kingdom (British ministerial department)
Everything about Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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The facts so far
As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.
- Reservoir storage across England stood at 60.1%, 17% below average for the time of year, as of 3 November.newcivilengineer.com
- The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) requires 450 new farm reservoirs, each of 100,000 m³, to be built every year between now and 2050.newcivilengineer.com
- In the last five years, only 34 reservoirs with above-ground capacity over 25,000 m3 were built.newcivilengineer.com
- DEFRA is helping farmers build resilience to future droughts with £65M of investment.newcivilengineer.com
Why it matters
The crisis highlights a fundamental tension between climate adaptation, agricultural needs, and environmental protection. While water companies are struggling operationally due to drought, the long-term solution requires significant investment in on-farm storage. This infrastructure is crucial for allowing high-value cropping to adapt to climate change, but its deployment is currently hindered by regulatory processes.
This issue is part of a wider national conversation about water privatization and infrastructure investment. Critics argue that water companies are not investing in crucial infrastructure despite spiralling bills, leading to calls for public-private partnership funding and a national rollout of nature-based solutions.
What we don't know yet
- Will DEFRA successfully ease the permitting and abstraction systems to meet the required pace of reservoir construction?
- How will the government balance the need for agricultural water storage against the protection of chalk streams and groundwater-dependent environments?
Is this still moving?
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What would change this answer
Who else could feel it
Other possible ripples from the same event.
- governmentLikelyDrought crisis forces government to allocate £65M for farm water resilience
- River ItchenPossibleThe River Itchen may experience reduced flow and lower levels due to widespread drought conditions in England.
- NFUPossibleNFU may increase lobbying pressure to ease drought permitting for farm storage
Reporting
- newcivilengineer.comWednesday
- express.co.ukJul 28
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