Key facts
- A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will champion community voices and strengthen the UK's ability to plan for and respond to extreme weather.
- The taskforce will bring together over 50 organizations, including the Environment Agency, Met Office, and representatives from the farming, water, and insurance industries.
- The group will share expertise on understanding risks, assessing preparedness, and supporting a longer-term resilience strategy for floods and drought.
- The taskforce's first meeting on October 14, 2026, will focus on winter flood preparedness and learnings from the ongoing drought.
- The government is investing at least £10.5 billion between 2024 and 2036 for flood defenses.
A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce has been established in the UK to enhance the nation's preparedness for extreme weather events, including both floods and droughts. The taskforce, which convened for its first meeting on October 14, 2026, aims to integrate community voices and expertise from over 50 organizations to develop long-term resilience strategies.
The taskforce's initial agenda focused on assessing the nation's readiness for potential winter flooding, building on lessons learned from the previous year's storms, and incorporating insights from the recent drought. This initiative comes as the UK anticipates a wetter winter following a dry summer that marked its third drought in five years, with the driest July in nearly two centuries.
The government is backing these efforts with significant investment, including at least £10.5 billion committed to flood defenses between 2024 and 2036. Additionally, £4.2 billion is allocated for existing and new flood defenses, with £1.4 billion designated for 2026/27. The taskforce will work in tandem with the National Drought Group, which focuses on the operational response to drought, to ensure a coordinated approach to water management and resilience.
Since its establishment in September 2024, the taskforce has facilitated information sharing, improved forecasting services for surface water flooding, and created action groups for flood warnings, recovery, and insurance. The government has also taken steps to address drought, including holding water companies accountable for reducing leaks and providing financial support to farmers.