Introduce Joined-Up Water Infrastructure Planning Tackle Drought and Flood Risk

The UK faces more extreme weather—longer dry spells and heavier rainfall causing flooding. Water infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. Yorkshire’s population has grown by 500,000 since 2000, but no new reservoir has been built since the 1960s. Hosepipe bans are now common, while floodwater and drainage assets remain underused. We need a joined-up national strategy to manage water for both drought and flood resilience—linking reservoirs, canals, floodplains, and quarries into one cohesive system.