April News Digest
Welcome back to a bumper Easter edition of the AdaptationUK digest, packed with news and expertise from March and April. Edited by Mirte Boot.
š”ļø THE HIGH LINE: Too Much Water
In our climate changed world, the only weather certainty is uncertainty. And so it was perhaps with predictable irony that the April release of a landmark report from Public First laying bare the full economic and human cost of flooding in the UK followed the driest month of March for 60 years. Titled "From Risk to Resilience: The Case for Flood-Resilient Communities, Economies and Growth", and guided by a steering committee led by Emma Howard Boyd, the report shows floodingās impact stretches far beyond immediate damage. With nearly 40% of UK adults affected by flooding in their lifetimes ā and one in four properties at risk by 2050 ā the findings call for urgent action ahead of the Spending Review.
Flooding is stalling UK growth. The report paints a full picture of floodingās economic impact, showing that beyond the immediate physical damage costing Ā£2.4 billion per year flooding results in Ā£290 million in immediate lost output and at least Ā£6.1 billion in suppressed growth over time as flood-prone areas struggle to recover for decades. The investment case is clear: every Ā£1 spent on flood defences avoids Ā£8 in damage, including Ā£3 in direct savings to public infrastructure. The report highlights Leeds' response to 2015's Storm Eva as a success story, with new defences protecting 30,000 jobs and enabling Ā£774 million in development.
Behind the numbers are deeply personal losses. Residents whose homes flooded in the early months of 2025 describe losing irreplaceable family photographs, mould climbing up the walls, and facing financial hardship after paying out-of-pocket for repairs. Many of the worst-hit areas are Labour constituencies, and 70% of those interviewed believe flooding can be reduced with the right investment ā showing there is not only a moral and an economic case, but a political one. Key recommendations include a long-term funding settlement, mandatory resilience and drainage standards (especially for the 7,000 new homes planned on floodplains) and devolved funding for local authorities.
More water news this month:
Intense bursts of rainfalls in UK cities: The FT has a deepdive on how climate change is resulting in harder, heavier rain in cities. Copenhagen and New York are preparing with increased floodplains and tunnels to carry rain - a so-called "cloudburst management" system. Met Office expert Lizzie Kendon notes UK summers will be drier but with more intense rain bursts. Infrastructure planners are warned that "what is extreme now will become normal", with past records no longer providing adequate design guidance - especially relevant as the Government scales up its building plans.
Half of World's Most Populated Cities Getting Wetter: New WaterAid research shows increasing exposure to both floods and droughts in 100 major cities around the World. 15% now experience "climate whiplash" - an extreme āflip floppingā between droughts and floods - while 20% face "climate reversals" becoming abruptly wet or dry, with the most dramatic flips in South Asia. The research highlights the need for bespoke adaptation approaches for cities facing dramatically different water challenges.
Natural Flood Management Benefits 10x the Cost: New Wildlife Trust and RSA Insurance report shows nature-based solutions deliver benefits ten times greater than costs. "Nature is one of the best defences against flooding, but just 1% of public funding for flood risk is going to natural management schemes" according to the Wildlife Trust. Recommendations include standardised project design and support for private finance markets and improved data collection.
Construction Industry's Role in Tackling Water Scarcity: By 2050, England faces a 5 billion litre daily water shortage, according to Waterwise. This blog explores how the construction industry can lead by increasing water efficiency in new homes, treating it similarly to energy efficiency and helping overcome the misconception that flooding and water scarcity are unrelated issues.
š£ UK ADAPTATION: POLICY UPDATES
New Climate Adaptation Research & Innovation Framework Published: DEFRA and the Office for Science have published the Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework (CARIF), a strategic tool for investment planning across government, business, and research communities. The framework identifies priorities across 11 sectors using a novel systems approach with Sankey diagrams to visualize cross-sector dependencies and highlights how climate adaptation aligns with each of the Governmentās five āmissionsā.
New Treasury Green Book Supplementary Guidance on Climate Change: DEFRA has published guidance on accounting for climate change effects in policy decision-making, adding an additional step in appraisal stages to assess risks under both 2Ā°C and 4Ā°C warming scenarios. The guidance provides step-by-step advice on developing business cases that properly account for climate risks.
Department for Transport publishes Consultation Responses on Climate Adaptation Consultation: The DfT consultation responses show broad support for proposed climate adaptation policies, with 59-70% of respondents believing actions would be effective. Stakeholders called for additional funding alongside regulatory reforms.
More Climate Adaptation Reports Released Under ARP4: More organisations have submitted their climate adaptation reports for the fourth round of Climate Change Act reporting, including Ofgem, The Pension Regulator, and HS2, which notes it is "designed to operate in the 22nd century".
Not so much policy, but a bit of politics: And finally, The Times has a write-up on the current state of the climate and UK adaptation policy under the new Government (āWeāve failed to stop climate change - this is what we do nextā). TL;DR - "We've had some positive conversations, but it hasn't got to anything beyond that yet" according to Baroness Brown, chair of the CCC adaptation committee.
š WHAT WE ARE READING
Your UK Adaptation news from the last six weeks, by topic:
Must Read of the Month - State of the Global Climate 2024: The World Meteorological Organisation's landmark report reveals that 2024 was likely the first calendar year 1.5Ā°C above pre-industrial levels - a milestone that should be front-page news everywhere. The full report has a plethora of statistics & graphs on the warming climate - it shows 2024 was the warmest year on record, with COā at highest levels in 800,000 years and glaciers experiencing their most negative 3-year balance on record. The WMO is intensifying efforts to strengthen early warning systems, noting that only half of the World have adequate systems in place. Excellent visual summary including quiz here.
š° FINANCE & INSURANCE
Climate Crisis on Track to Destroy Capitalism: Stark warning from Allianz board member Gunther Thallinger - the cost of extreme weather is leaving the financial sector unable to operate. The core business of insurance - which underwrites many other financial services such as mortgages and investments - is at risk as climate change makes places uninsurable. "Entire asset classes" are degrading in real time, including housing, infrastructure and agriculture. He argues the economic value of coastal, dry, and wildfire-prone regions will vanish from financial ledgers, generating a "brutal" market response. "The insurance sector is the canary in the coalmine."
Investment Funds Shift Focus to Adaptation: Climate funds are rapidly expanding beyond mitigation to include adaptation investments, with Robinson of Mazarine calling it a "not so subtle" shift as investors wake up to physical risks. Invesco is launching a $500 million climate adaptation fund by July, with some using blended finance supported by development institutions.
Too Hot to Think Straight, Too Cold to Panic: New Cambridge & BCG report aims to lay out the economic case for climate investment. The analysis shows cumulative economic output could drop by 15-34% globally, with 3Ā°C warming by 2100. South East Asian countries could face losses of 18-25%. The report calls for a 13-fold increase in adaptation finance and identifies five barriers to "economically rational" climate action.
US Weather Agency Job Cuts Threaten Climate Risk Data: Insurers warn that cuts to the US weather agency could jeopardise vital climate risk data needed by financial markets to assess physical climate threats.
š± NATURE
Spring is Fastest Warming Season in the UK: Climate Central report shows Spring warming fastest at 1.8Ā°C since 1970. The findings highlight the difficulty that unpredictable seasonal shifts create for plant and tree species.
Resurrection Plants: Drought Resistant "Zombie Plants": BBC Future reports on plants that can survive six months without water. Seed scientist Henk Hilhorst warns that by 2100, "agriculture will only be possible in Canada and Siberia," making these plants potentially crucial for feeding the World as climate variability increases. As soil scientist Timothy George notes: "climate change causes chaosā - it's the variability that creates challenges for plants.
š FARMING & FOOD
Food Industry in Official Drought for 2025, with cocoa, coffee, and corn at risk: Everstream Analytics confirms we are now in an official drought for 2025. Food manufacturers are "scrambling" as major crops face climate threats, forcing price hikes. Despite being essential to global food security, corn is particularly vulnerable, and corn stocks are at their lowest since 2020. Sugar hit a 13-year price high in 2024, with conditions expected to worsen. Major manufacturers like NestlƩ are turning to regenerative agriculture to increase supply chain resilience.
Banana Crops Existentially Threatened by Climate Change: New University of Exeter research finds 60% of banana regions in Latin America and Caribbean under threat from climate change, endangering the Ā£8bn industry. Professor Bebber warns that "without substantial investment in adaptation, including irrigation and heat-tolerant varieties, the future of export banana production looks uncertain."
AHDB Publishes Climate Adaptation Report: The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has published its climate adaptation report, focusing on climate risks for farming. It notes climate change could provide opportunities like new crops and the lowering of feed and energy costs in warmer winters. However, risks to assets and productivity are ācriticalā. The report intends to fill the gap of information on actions farmers can take to adapt to climate change. Mrs Madeley-Davies explains āThe good news is a lot of the actions required are current best practice, such as maintaining soil health for productivity.ā
š” BUILDINGS & INFRASTRUCTURE
Power Outages from Wind 2-5x More Likely Than Previously Thought: New Met Office research shows traditional risk assessments significantly underestimate wind-related power outages by failing to account for combined factors like windstorms and trees falling on power lines. The first UK study of its kind calls for better prediction tools to help energy companies allocate resources and enhance grid resilience. Link to the paper in Nature here.
London Leading - Case Studies in Resilience Leadership: London Councils showcases how boroughs are embedding climate adaptation in policy, with 12 case studies across five leadership areas. Examples include Haringey's response to the 2022 heatwave, which created partnerships between carbon management, public health, and NHS teams using local data and London climate risks maps to protect vulnerable populations such as rough sleepers. Full report here.
š„ HEALTH
NHS Publishes 4th Health and Climate Adaptation Report: The report is structured around three building blocks: health information systems, service delivery and infrastructure, and leadership, workforce and resourcing. It highlights new research and data on threats such as heatwaves. To pick out one case study: the 2022 heat wave caused nearly 3,000 deaths, as well as an IT failure in two data centres key to powering London's NHS trusts. They were forced to switch to paper, disrupting patient care with treatment delays and adding Ā£1.4 million in extra costs. Heat-related deaths are projected to increase six-fold. The report highlights progress since 2021.
Tackling Extreme Heat Without Increasing Emissions: Grantham Institute report examines how to address urban heat health risks without driving up emissions. With a focus on London, and recommendations include prioritising low-emission cooling approaches and preventative rather than responsive action.
š„ FIRE RISKS
Climate Change Made 2022 Fires 6x More Likely: The unprecedented 2022 UK heatwave that saw temperatures reach 40Ā°C for the first time made destructive fires six times more likely, according to new modelling that underscores the urgent need for improved fire risk management.
Seven-Step Roadmap to Improve Wildfire Management: University of East Anglia research outlines a comprehensive approach to wildfire management in response to escalating climate risks.
šŗ TIPPING POINTS
North Atlantic Winds - New UK Weather Extremes Triggered by Higher Temperatures: New Met Office analysis shows current climate models have limitations in predicting certain wind patterns in the North Atlantic, known as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). There remains significant uncertainty in predictions of NAO behaviour. In a high global emission scenario, the NAO will pose "severe" risks of impacts from extreme weather such as flooding and storms.
Driving Climate Resilient Development Through Ambition Setting: New academic paper advocates moving from risk-based planning to an ambition-setting approach for climate adaptation, "envisioning the future we want" rather than reactively responding to threats.
š COMMUNITIES & RESILIENCE
More Local Councils publish Climate Adaptation Plans: This month, Wiltshire Council and Argyll & Bute Council released new climate adaptation delivery plans, demonstrating growing local government commitment to resilience.
New Flood Risk Maps from Scottish Environment Protection Agency: SEPA has launched more detailed flood maps providing the most accurate picture yet of flood risk during heavy rainfall. The live information system helps businesses protect property, operations, and supply chains through clearer risk visualisation.
š INTERNATIONAL
California Wildfires - Scale of Damage Analysed: New analysis of the January California fires shows media focus on celebrity homes obscured the scale of damage: 90% of affected properties were completely destroyed and 28,000 homeowners uprooted, with $34 billion damage to single-family homes. Insurance payouts so far total just $12 billion, leaving $24 billion unpaid. Lloyd's of London expects to pay out $2.3 billion in losses from wildfires.
Tropical Forests Struggling to Keep Pace with Climate Change: Oxford research shows forests in the Americas are not adapting to climate change fast enough. By identifying the "tree traits" of āsurvivorsā and ānewcomersā, researchers hope to inform conservation strategies for better protecting vulnerable forest ecosystems.
āļø WEATHER WATCH
Record-Breaking March for Sunshine & Drought: Met Office reports March 2025 was the sunniest March in England since records began. It was also the driest in over 60 years for England and Wales, with some Southern and Eastern areas completely dry for a month between end of March and end of April.
Spanish Holiday Resorts āColder Than Swedenā: The Sun also splashes on climate impacts for British holidaymakers - without once mentioning the word climate.
Weather Prediction Breakthroughs: Two interesting academic papers published on extreme weather, including on how AI might dramatically improve weather prediction accuracy and a University of Reading study on "how to stop being surprised by unprecedented weather" with an overview of tools to help anticipate weather hazards.
š UPCOMING EVENTS
UK Systemic Resilience to International Climate and Nature Risks: Friday, 2nd May, 2:00 PM, Oxford Martin School. Report launch with speakers including Rachel Kyte, UK Envoy for Climate.
Flood and Coast Conference: 3rd-5th June, Telford: Conference on flood and coastal risk management
European Climate Change Adaptation Conference: 16th-18th June, Rimini, Italy: Early bird tickets ā¬250 now available.
Global Tipping Points Conference: 30th June - 3rd July, Exeter.
The Shift Conference: 30th-31st October, Dusseldorf, Germany. Corporate Climate Adaptation conference. Early āsave the dateā now live.
š FINAL THOUGHT
One from me, your author. Working in climate day after day, itās all too easy to develop a kind of myopic detachment. The state of global climate action often feels too big, too overwhelming, too depressing. It becomes easier to shrink the lens, to focus on the small pieces I can control. Meanwhile, the headlines loop in the background: dramatic warnings, alarming statisticsāonce shocking, now familiar. Numbing, even.
But then this monthly ritual rolls around. I start gathering stories, studies, datapoints. And by tracking climate impacts in real time, Iām jolted awake all over again. Every month brings new stories of disasterā ecosystems faltering before our eyes, billions of dollars in damage. I see how the very foundations of life ā food, water, shelter, energy ā are already under threat, their fragility laid bare. What makes it all so deceptive is how it plays out in slow motion - across scattered timescales and geographies. Impacts are hidden because they are often local, uneven and shaped by varying government responses. And in those fragments, itās easy to lose sight of the bigger picture of just how bad itās going to get, just how urgently the Earthās warning signs are flashing red.
A wise woman once said to me: "The hardest thing in the world is to be happy while living with your eyes open." We have to resist the temptation of false optimismāof looking away, simplifying, underplaying. And yet, we must nurture genuine hope. For me, that hope is rooted in remembering there are already millions of us, all doing everything we can to build a world we want to live in, and to prevent a future we simply cannot accept. To live with our eyes open is hard. But to act anyway ā that's the real work.