Essay: FLOOD MANAGEMENT POLICY AND LEGISLATION

ABSTRACT
1) INTRODUCTION:
Flood is a natural phenomenon which has its effect on the monetary and social stage and in addition has its impact on environment. Because of climate change the likelihood of high scale flooding in future will increment.
Climate change is a key component which has an endless impact on the coastal erosion and flooding. The run of the mill effect of environmental change will bring about sea level ascent, which will expand the frequency, intensity and severity of coastal storms. Heavy rainfall occasions will build the flooding in fluvial catchments and urban surface water spillover. These are noteworthy concerns for the government of UK. Keeping in mind the end goal to roadster with future dangers, the legislature of UK alongside environment bodies, for example, DEFRA, internal drainage boards, environmental agency, and local operating authorities and so on need to address their obligations and need to cooperate so as to minimize the general impact of flooding in this nation.
2) GLOBAL PROSPERITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE:
Floods are of a noteworthy worry to United Kingdom and environmental change is a main consideration included in flooding. Because of environmental change the worldwide prosperity will be enormously influenced as there will be intense rainfall, rising sea level, extreme flooding, heat waves and draughts. These effects have as of now been seen internationally and it will increase after some time.
According to Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, it is sure that greenhouse gasses have contributed its real share in environmental change. The vast majority of the global temperature boost found in most recent 50 years is because of the global greenhouse emission. It is seen today that the sea level has ascended by 20 cm through the previous century, the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica has been contracting, the ocean ice spread on polar sea has contracted by 20% by a century ago, It is anticipated that till the end of this century greenhouse gas emission will cause global warming to increase by 7 degrees, and the effect on eco system is also visible. (Consequences of climate change, 2014)
Carbon dioxide is the most critical anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) and is accounted as the central point in environmental change. It is evaluated that worldwide greenhouse gas emission has expanded by 70% and general carbon dioxide discharge has expanded by 80% somewhere around 1970 and 2004. (IPCC, 2007)
Figure 1: Global annual emissions of CO2 from 1970 to 2004 (IPPC, 2007)
Global greenhouse gasses emission must be diminished keeping in mind the end goal to minimize the climate change affects. As seen from the pie-diagram USA, china and European Union has a global emission rate of 19%, 23% and 13% respectively. For global prosperity it must be controlled. (IPCC, 2014)
Figure 2: Emission of co2 by major countries (IPCC 2007)
For addressing and adjusting to climate change, the government of UK declared an climate change follow up on November 2008, which was a legal structure for addressing to environmental change hazard and advancing adaptation.
In addressing to UK carbon dioxide outflow a law was passed,” It is the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline”. (Climate change act, 2008, c.27). This Act plans to reduce all out carbon emission of the nation and means to wind up a low-carbon economy.
Globally the greenhouse emission must be held under wraps and through proper adjustment and relief the effect and risk related to climate change can be lessened.
3) PITT’S REVIEW:
After the staggering floods in June/July of 2007, the parliament requested that Sir Michael Pitt do an autonomous evaluation on decreasing the effect and risk of flooding and to enhance fundamental emergency response framework.