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Members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Waterways have heard urgent expert evidence on the growing impacts of climate change on the UK’s inland waterways, including canals, rivers and low-lying navigation systems.
Meeting under the secretariat of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the APPG received evidence from the Canal & River Trust (CRT) and the Middle Level Commissioners (MLC), focusing on how changing weather patterns and rising water levels are already affecting navigation, infrastructure and surrounding communities.
Left to right are Paul Burrows, chief executive of the Middle Level Commissioners; Bill Esterton, chair and MP for Sefton in Liverpool; Lisa Smart, MP for Hazel Grove, near Stockport; Adam Comerford, the CRT’s national hydrology manager; and and Baroness Lin Golding.
Members were told that changing rainfall patterns in the Middle Level are having a direct impact on vegetation management, while reduced water flows in the River Nene, combined with rising sea levels and river bed levels, could prevent boats from entering or leaving the system altogether. Witnesses also warned of increasing flood risk and coastal surge events, leaving low-lying areas particularly vulnerable.
Responsibility for flood and coastal risk management in these areas lies primarily with the Environment Agency (EA), but navigation authorities are increasingly required to operate under significant financial pressure, despite facing growing climate-related challenges.
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The session highlighted that while waterways are among the first parts of the environment to feel the effects of climate change, they can also play a vital role in the response — through adaptation, mitigation measures and enhancement of the natural environment, supporting wider net zero objectives.
Bill Esterson MP, Member of Parliament for Sefton Central and chair of the Waterways APPG, questioned the Middle Level Commissioners on their recent experiences of flooding, which he said had revealed how many communities remain disconnected from the realities of living below sea level.
Mr Esterson said: “There are real challenges as the impacts of climate change intensify, but also significant opportunities in how we adapt and mitigate. These are serious issues relating to our waterways, which go far beyond those who live and work on the water.
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“Our changing climate affects communities, economies and environments alike. Yet within that jeopardy lies opportunity – to improve how people enjoy our waterways and to remind MPs just how many of their constituents live near and depend upon them.”
A major theme of the discussion was funding, with concerns raised over the fact that Defra’s funding settlement for the Canal & River Trust has been reduced, at a time when climate-related infrastructure and maintenance costs are rising sharply.
Reported by IWA’s AMY TILLSON
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Article Tags:
All-Party Parliamentary Group Waterways, Canal & River Trust, canals and rivers, climate change and waterways, climate resilience, Defra funding, Environment Agency, flooding risk, inland waterways, Inland Waterways Association, Middle Level Commissioners, Middle Level navigation, navigation funding, net zero waterways, River Nene, sea level rise, Towpath Talk, UK waterways, waterway infrastructure, Waterways APPG
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