Flood and drought taskforce to meet for the first time as winter flood risk rises

A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will meet for the first time on Wednesday 14 October, bringing together representatives from more than 50 organisations to prepare for both flooding and drought.

Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy will lead the group, whose members include the Environment Agency, the Met Office, mayoral authorities, fire and rescue services, local authorities, and representatives from farming, the water industry and insurance.

Photograph: Nick Chipchase, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The launch follows a wet winter and a long, hot summer that brought the country its third drought in five years and its driest July in almost two centuries, with a wetter and more intense winter now expected. The Met Office has warned of a heightened potential for wet, windy and stormy weather this winter, with the chances lifted by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

We’re taking a smarter, more joined-up approach to manage the nation’s water.Emma Hardy, Minister for Floods and Drought, quoted by Sky News, 10 October 2026

At its first meeting, members will review preparations for possible flooding this winter and consider how responses have improved, as well as discussing lessons from the ongoing drought and ways to strengthen resilience to both hazards. About 6.3 million properties in England are at risk of flooding.

Ms Hardy said: “We’re taking a smarter, more joined-up approach to manage the nation’s water.” The Government says communities and businesses will be at the centre of the taskforce’s work, with people affected by floods and drought involved directly so their experience helps shape future policy.

Photograph: Edwin Graham, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Government says it has committed at least £10.5 billion between 2024 and 2036 to flood defences, described as England’s largest flood defence programme, protecting homes, businesses and key infrastructure. Sky News reported that the relaunched taskforce will not have any new powers, and that ministers stopped short of a single dedicated phone line for flood victims or an overall target for boosting flood defences, as recommended by MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee last year.

Sky News also reported that the Government’s climate advisers said in May that £1.6 billion a year would be needed to 2050 just to keep flood risk similar to today’s levels. The existing National Drought Group will continue to lead the operational response to drought, while the new taskforce takes a broader, longer-term view of preparation for both flooding and drought.