Flood solutions highlighted at Labour Conference

THE growing risks of flooding and the actions which can help to protect people and property were highlighted this week by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton.

The Government has identified the threat of flooding as second only to terrorism, while the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has estimated the costs of the 2007 floods at £3 billion.

The MPA fringe meeting ‘Going down the Drain?’ was supported by the launch of ‘Concrete and Flooding’, which provides important new guidance on the causes of flooding and how to prevent or reduce its impacts.

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the UK, and the guidance highlights how the material can be used most effectively to prevent and mitigate flood damage.

For example, the use of concrete for long-lasting, high-performance coastal protection is well established, but less well known is the contribution which concrete sustainable drainage systems can make to reducing flooding in built-up areas, and how resilient concrete buildings are to flooding.

Commenting on the launch, MPA – The Concrete Centre executive director Andrew Minson said: ‘It is essential that industry recognizes the consequences of climate change and helps to mitigate problems such as flooding. The concrete industry is doing just that.

‘We believe that the party conferences are important audiences for such a vital issue and that the new guidance will make a very positive contribution to improving flood protection in the UK.’