Climate change is a significant issue in the South East as global warming could lead to changes in our weather with hotter, drier summers and milder, wetter winters.
Southern Water is making plans to cope with the increased threat of droughts and flooding to ensure there are sufficient water supplies to go round and reduce the risk of sewer flooding to homes and gardens.
The publication of the Climate Change Act in 2008 requires all water companies to adapt to ensure water supplies are maintained and sewer networks are robust.
The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1997, with spring arriving 10 days earlier in the UK than it did in the 1970s. The sea is predicted to rise by one metre this century, exposing millions more people to flooding and by 2080 annual rainfall in the South East could drop by half.¹
The water industry accounts for nearly one per cent of the UK greenhouse gas emissions and has an important role to play in reducing emissions in order to meet the UK target of reducing greenhouse gases by 80 per cent by 2050.
