Exclusive:UK floods: soil degradation due to climate change significantly increases risk of flooding, campaigners say

The poor state of the UK’s soil due to climate change is significantly increasing the risk of serious floods, campaigners have said, as rivers across the country burst their banks.

More than 1,000 properties across England have flooded in the last few days, amid heavy downpours and deluges, with the Environment Agency issuing hundreds of flood warnings and alerts. Images from across the country have showed homes underwater, with a number of rescue operations underway as rail lines and motorways were closed.

Data from the Environment Agency shows almost every river in England to be exceptionally high with some rivers reaching their highest flow on record on Friday, such as the River Itchen in Southampton. Caroline Douglass, the agency’s flood director, said the River Trent has been at “some of the highest levels we’ve seen in 24 years”.

Save Soil, a leading environmental movement, has issued an urgent warning about the critical link between soil degradation and escalating flood risks amidst climate change and global warming. 

Avanti Pethe, from Save Soil, told NationalWorld: "When we think about what can be done in the agricultural sector in particular, bringing back living soils through practice of sustainable soil and land management can reduce both the likelihood and the impact of disasters such as floods, droughts and wildfires.”

The campaigners explained how there is an “interdependence of soil health and flood resilience”. Healthy soil acts as a natural sponge, absorbing and storing excess rainfall, preventing surface runoff and subsequent flooding. 

However, intense farming, with excessive use of chemicals, results in increased soil density and a loss of organic material and biodiversity, Save Soil says. This increases its compaction and reduces its ability to absorb and effectively manage water, leading to higher likelihoods of flooding.

Douglass, the EA’s flood director, admitted that the ground was incredibly saturated after a number of storms. She said: “We have had very wide rainfall. Over November and December, following Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, the ground was incredibly saturated right across the country, particularly in the east.

“But also that’s just been topped up over the pre-Christmas period. That rainfall from this week has just added to that, so there’s really nowhere for the water to go. The ground is completely saturated so in that situation we get more flooding and greater impacts than we’ve seen and probably in areas where people aren’t used to.”

Save Soil is calling for urgent policy changes to ensure a minimum of 3% to 6% organic matter in agricultural soil across the globe, which could take 27% of the carbon emissions required to limit global warming to 2C.

The group explained: “Soil operates as one of the world’s greatest carbon sinks, biodiversity hosts, and water filtration systems. However, due to unsustainable agricultural practices and overconsumption, up to 40% of the world’s soil is now already degraded.” It has estimated that soil degradation costs each British citizen £100 a year. "It is structural change with policy support that will make the biggest impact on the state of our soil," Avanti added.

While Labour accused the government of being “asleep at the wheel” over flood warnings. The party wants Rishi Sunak to convene a “Cobra-style taskforce” to protect homes from further damage.

In a joint statement Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden and Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “The Conservatives have brushed over the risk of flooding for too long and communities are paying the price. Rishi Sunak has been asleep at the wheel and he must act now or risk further damage to lives and livelihoods. This is not about extra money. This is about ensuring that the budget already committed to flood defences is used to maximum effect. If that doesn’t happen, homes across the country will remain exposed.”

Sunak said that people should be “reassured” that the Environment Agency has people on the ground “in all the affected areas”. He told broadcasters: “It is important that people follow the advice that has been given in local areas where there are flood warnings that have been given. People should be reassured. The Environment Agency have people in the ground everywhere, absolutely recognise the urgency of what is happening and they are responding appropriately and with all due haste.”

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.