Issued by: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

New taskforce will strengthen oversight of flood and drought resilience and champion the voices of communities.

A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will be launched this week, to champion community voices and strengthen the nation’s ability to plan for and respond to extreme weather.

This year alone, the nation has experienced the effects of our changing climate, with a wet winter followed by a long, hot summer bringing our third drought in five years and the driest July in almost two centuries, while a more intense and wetter winter is now anticipated.

The largest flood defence programme in English history is being delivered by the government, with at least £10.5 billion committed between 2024 and 2036 to protect homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure from the growing threat of flooding.

Meeting for the first time this Wednesday (14 October 2026), the new Taskforce will bring Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy together with representatives from more than 50 organisations, including the Environment Agency, Met Office, Mayoral authorities, the Fire and Rescue Services, and the farming, water and insurance industry.

The group will share expertise, from understanding risks and assessing preparedness to supporting a longer-term resilience strategy for floods and drought, helping to protect communities and the economy.

The voices of communities affected by both issues will be central to the new taskforce, through direct engagement and the inclusion of more community-based groups, so their lived experiences and insights inform future policy development.

In this week’s meeting, the agenda will focus on assessing the nation’s preparedness for potential flooding this winter, which shows the nation is better prepared compared to last year, and how members have improved their response. It will also discuss emerging learnings from the ongoing drought, and if improvements could be made to aid the nation’s resilience to both flooding and drought.

Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy said:

"We’re facing extreme weather, with flood and drought intertwined, but the government is taking decisive action.

"We’re taking a smarter, more joined-up approach to manage the nation’s water and set up our new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce. This will put communities and businesses at the heart of our work and will make sure the UK is ready for whatever the weather brings next.

"We are also backing that ambition with historic investment, including £4.2 billion for existing and new flood defences that will protect even more people in the years ahead."

The Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will complement the work of the National Drought Group, which will continue to play its vital role in coordinating and overseeing the operational response to drought.

The new Taskforce will maintain strong links between the two, with the National Drought Group’s expertise and insights helping to inform its work on strategic resilience and preparedness.

The government has already taken swift action in response to the drought, by holding water companies to account to reduce leaks, supporting farmers with a £65 million funding boost to build resilience, and changing the rules to make building on-site reservoirs easier.

In 2026/27, £1.4 billion is being spent on building and repairing flood defences, with every £1 invested in flood defences preventing around £8 in economic damage.

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