A leading climate and infrastructure risk expert has warned that the UK must move faster from planning to delivery on drought resilience, as a major House of Lords report sets out growing pressure on water supplies from climate change, population growth and emerging industrial demand.
Professor Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks at the Environmental Change Institute, and Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (OPSIS) programme lead, gave evidence to the Environment and Climate Change Committee’s inquiry into drought preparedness, which is published this week after extensive evidence sessions across the water and infrastructure sectors.
In response to today’s report, Prof Hall said: “The UK water system is more resilient than it has ever been, but the scale of investment required now reflects the reality that climate change, population growth and new demands mean we are facing a long-term structural water deficit. The challenge is not just planning — it is delivery at pace.”
The inquiry examines whether England is adequately prepared for future droughts, considering supply infrastructure, demand management, leakage reduction and environmental constraints on abstraction.
In evidence to the Committee, Professor Hall highlighted that while water resource planning capability in England has strengthened significantly in recent years, the challenge now lies in delivery at scale and pace — particularly as many major infrastructure projects are not expected to come online until the late 2030s.
He also pointed to the need for more integrated planning across water, energy and digital infrastructure, as emerging demands such as data centres and hydrogen production add new pressure to water systems.
The Committee heard evidence from a range of experts across the water, environmental and infrastructure sectors over the course of the inquiry.
The full report is available via the UK Parliament, Environment and Climate Change Committe,webpage: