The UK must 'radically improve' the way it manages water to avoid further droughts, mayor of Greater Lincolnshire warns
The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire has warned that the UK must ‘radically improve’ the way it manages water if it is to avoid further droughts.
The National Drought Group now says that 71.3 per cent of England is in drought status, including the East Midlands and Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, bringing approximately 45 million people into drought status across the UUK.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK) said the declaration of drought status in Lincolnshire was a ‘stark reminder’ of the urgent need to address the issue.
Ms Jenkyns said she has set up the Enhanced Water Partnership, which works with water companies and its partners to find solutions to this problem.
She added: “The declaration of drought in Lincolnshire is a stark reminder that we must radically improve the way we manage water in this country as it has real consequences for people’s daily lives, our economy and our food security.
“When water shortages affect farming, the impacts are felt far beyond the farm gate. They can affect food production, increase pressure on household budgets and threaten jobs across our rural economy.
“That is why, in Lincolnshire, I have established the Enhanced Water Management Partnership, bringing together all the key agencies, water companies and partners to explore what more can be done.
“We need to be far more ambitious about how we capture, store and use water, ensuring we can retain more of it during wetter periods and make it available when it is needed most.”
The Mayoral Enhanced Water Partnership was established by the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority in February this year and it is chaired by Ms Jenkyns.
The partnership aims to address issues including water management and flood resilience.
The drought follows the driest July on record, with hosepipe bans introduced across Lincolnshire and Rutland.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber heat health alerts for all parts of England apart from the North East, which will remain in place until Friday (August 14).
The Food and Drink Federation has also reported that heatwaves across Europe are severely impacting the UK’s supply of fruit and vegetables and it has raised concerns that this could lead to higher food prices.