Currently Britain has experienced flooding and variations in rainfall. This has raised concerns over what the future will bring on the sector and how it has to adapt, as agriculture requires a lot of water… but is it possible for the agricultural sector to adapt especially as it is short of cash, since the removal of government subsidies??

 (Flooded Fields Clough Lane, UK)

Below is an interesting link that has a video which explains all:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6260000/newsid_6261800/6261860.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&nol_storyid=6261860&bbcws=1

Picture from: http://parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/FirsbyGroup/imageDetail.asp?id=55780

As a country are we willing to pay more for flood defences on some of the worst flooding hot spots well according to experts this is not cost effective, but the cheaper alternative is protecting the floodplains from development. Yet this is not what the government has done.

Panaroma video below explains it all:

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6930000/newsid_6934900/6934988.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&bbcws=1

Right now, many do not realise or understand that the world is facing a crisis. A water crisis which is affecting many of us right this minute; from those in less developed countries to poor people amongst the more developed countries.

Water resources can not cope with the demand as a result of population increase, industrial demands, climate change and pollution which effects water quality and quantity and which may cause water conflicts…

Watch the video for more of an insight into this crisis

Severne Trent has announced profits suffered as a result of the cost of the flooding, but the figures are still high and therefore the floods are not really making a dent on Severne’s piggy bank. It will annoy some that this profit can’t be used to improve water services and to prevent these type of flood cases.

 (Picture of Tewkesbury town centre, 2007)

Sources:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30400-1294506,00.html

http://www.topix.net/world/united-kingdom/2007/11/floods-wash-away-severn-gains

I feel sorry for these people every year or so they are hit by flooding, we as wealthier countries should put some sort of flood management plan in action as we keep on sending supplies but those are short term measures. However one aspect that is being praised is the quick response in providing purification tablets, as the area is suffering from contaminated water, however this is still a problem for those in remote areas

Video:

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7107176.stm 

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,2145,12215_cid_2958678,00.html

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKDHA11129220070820

Yorkshire water seem to be in the news alot recently and thats for all the wrong reasons…

1) has refused to pay the victims of the floods in particular those in Hull – shame on you Yorkshire Water!

2) has promised to spend £16 million on pumps for Hull (BBC, 2007) which will not see consumer bills rise, so where will this money come from i ask?? I doubt it will come from their profits so where?

Well we will wait and see..so watch this space

Sources:

http://www.yorkshirewater.com/?OBH=252&ID=440

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7108239.stm

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7109021.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/11/21/eaflood121.xml

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/nov/22/flooding.utilities

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/environment/flooding-probe-slams-water-firm-$1169587.htm

Waterbodies in Europe and North America that were once brown due to industrialisation, in particular due to acid rain, are now naturally returning to normal as tests have shown they have lower organic matter content.

This I feel will please many tap water users, whose major complaint was the colour,  and maybe the water companies will not need to waste money on treating brown waters now.

Source:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7104114.stm

Environmental Agency (2007)has reported that only 9 of 414 bathing water sites failed the water quality standards set by the bathing waters directive despite the floods this summer… so lets go to the beach! 

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7096300.stm

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/eff/1190084/water/213925/bathing/?version=1&lang=_e

As a result of serious water pollution incidents in recent years in particular Gwynedd when there was an outbreak of cyrptosporidium in 2005 the Consumer Council for Water  has told water companies to improve public confidence – I personally doubt they ever will if water pollution and ‘dodgy’ water companies are continually being reported in the press.

And if you think water is safe to drink look at the picture below to see how serious cryptosporidium is

Source:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7094478.stm

http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/tropmed/txt/Cryptosporidium_LifeCycle.gif (picture)

OFWAT fined Southern Water £20.3 million  (Times, 2007) for misreporting information which was a way of increasing prices and thus increase profits.. if you cant trust the water company who can you trust?

Sources:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article2872295.ece

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d55660ae-9308-11dc-ad39-0000779fd2ac.html 

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7093924.stm