Flood Defences

These islands have altered shape and land use for thousands of years because of climate or human intervention.

For example, the rivers on the Somerset Levels have, for the past 500 years, been manipulated to benefit farming.

I wonder what furore would happen if the Government insisted that all development on flood plains should be banned and the land returned to natural use. Imagine the furore if it withdrew subsidies from farmers and landowners, that contribute towards the deforestation of uplands that should act as a natural sponge for rain.

Imagine the protests of home owners forced to remove block paving that allows water to quickly enter river systems instead of soaking slowly into lawns and gardens.

The devastating floods seen in the Third World are a direct result of deforestation, not rainfall which has been variable for millennia.

In my view, we should be taking our lead from the Dutch by using flexible natural flood barriers and we should be prepared to see a major change to our landscape.

Help now by planting a tree today or helping an organisation, such as the Durham Wildlife Trust, plant many.

B Jackson, Sacriston.

FLOODING in the South is dominating the national news.

Clearly, the weather has been far worse than the planners had forecast.

If we look at the world as a whole we see convulsions in weather patterns, indicating that we have not taken warnings on climate change seriously enough and based policies on what has worked in the recent past.

The reaction of some is that there has been incompetence and heads should roll.

This is an understandable conditioned reaction, but what is needed is emergency action immediately to alleviate the plight of those affected now.

Then we can sit down, learn lessons and improve our planning and forecasting.

It is not only the need for dredging and coastal defences, but the management of uplands by, for instance, planting more trees to absorb the rainfall.

The Environment Agency is needed more than ever and if they call for more spending, they should not be ignored.

There is no simple solution and political posturing is pointless G Bulmer, Billingham.

BRITAIN gives millions to other countries for their crises. Is it not about time we kept that for the crisis now hitting our own people?

Never mind the British stiff upper lip, the nation is suffering, people are losing their homes and livelihoods and yet we are not getting any help.

And when people do get help, it’s too little too late.

It’s time to stand up for ourselves.

Elizabeth Gamsby, Ferryhill.