UK Launches Flood and Drought Taskforce as Third Drought in Five Years Grips the Country

Friday, 16 October 2026

The UK government has stood up a new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce, bringing together more than 50 organisations to improve how the country plans for and responds to increasingly volatile weather, after a year that included a wet winter, a long hot summer and the driest July in nearly two centuries.

The Taskforce, announced on 11 October and holding its first meeting on 14 October, is intended to complement the existing National Drought Group, which continues to coordinate the operational response to dry conditions. Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy is central to the new body, which draws in the Environment Agency, the Met Office, mayoral authorities, fire and rescue services, and representatives from farming, water and insurance. "We're facing extreme weather, with flood and drought intertwined, but the government is taking decisive action," Hardy said.

The announcement comes as England endures its third drought in five years. The government says the country's winter flood preparedness is in better shape than it was a year ago, but the Taskforce's first session was also tasked with reviewing lessons from the ongoing drought before the wetter months set in. Alongside the new body, ministers pointed to a series of funding commitments: at least £10.5 billion for flood defences between 2024 and 2036, including £4.2 billion for existing and new defences and £1.4 billion earmarked for 2026/27 alone, plus a £65 million fund to help farmers build resilience on their land. The government argues that every £1 spent on flood defences prevents around £8 in economic damage. Other measures cited include tougher accountability for water companies over leakage and rule changes intended to make it easier to build on-site reservoirs.

The UK move sits alongside a broader push on water resilience across the European Union. Brussels has been working through implementation of its Water Resilience Strategy, with EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall saying in recent weeks that delivery remains on track, and European officials have continued to develop a Water Resilience Investment Accelerator aimed at channelling more private and public finance into pipelines, treatment plants and other water infrastructure across the bloc. The parallel efforts reflect growing recognition among European governments that prolonged drought, ageing infrastructure and rising demand require sustained investment rather than one-off emergency responses.

For the UK, the immediate test will be whether the new Taskforce can translate coordination among dozens of organisations into faster, more consistent decisions the next time flood and drought conditions collide — a combination officials now describe as the new normal rather than the exception.