Flood risks, feeding birds, Chinese artichokes and a giveaway

This week I look at the Environment Agency’s recent assessments for flood risk, how bird feeders can spread disease, and give away some Chinese artichokes

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Flood risk assessment for England

The Environment Agency recently published its national assessment for flood and coastal erosion risk, the first update since 2018. The report highlights the growing flood risks across England, revealing that around 6.3 million properties are currently at risk from flooding caused by rivers, the sea, and surface water. This number is projected to rise to 8 million over the next 25 years due to climate change and urbanisation.

I have written about the lack of permeable surfaces in urban areas and surface water flooding, so I was particularly interested in the statistics for this type of flooding. The report states that currently 4.6 million properties in England are at risk from surface water flooding, with 1.1 million considered at high risk. Climate change could increase the number of high-risk proper…