Rising sea levels and climate change mean London’s flood defences are due for an upgrade

Officials person said London’s flood defence walls will request to beryllium half a metre higher successful nan early to protect against ambiance change. The announcement came arsenic they marked nan 40th day of nan Thames Barrier, which defends nan superior against flooding.

Though initially intended to protect London until 2030, nan moveable obstruction and nan city’s wider flood defences will usability until 2070, nan UK’s Environment Agency expects. But sea levels are projected to rise by astir a metre by 2100 and storms are becoming progressively aggravated owed to ambiance change.

This, officials person said, intends greater flood defences will beryllium needed.

Adapting London’s flood defences to ambiance change

There are plans to raise nan flood walls and defences alongside nan River Thames downriver by 50cm by 2040 and past grow this done cardinal London by 2050.

A determination connected what to do pinch nan Thames Barrier itself will besides request to beryllium made by 2040. Options see upgrading what is already location to header pinch rising oversea levels and storm surges by 2070 aliases building reservoirs downstream to shop flood water.

A caller obstruction pinch a akin creation to nan existent 1 - that allows vessels to walk done - could besides beryllium connected nan horizon.

“Its reliability and effectiveness show nan sophistication of its creation by a very talented group of engineers and nan continued attraction and cognition carried retired by nan Barrier team,” said Andy Batchelor, Thames Tidal Defences Operations Manager, who marked his past time connected nan occupation astatine nan 40th anniversary.

He started moving astatine nan tract connected nan time it opened and has been its operations head for 25 years.

“However, we will not remainder connected our laurels fixed nan threat of rising oversea levels, which is why we person committed to moving pinch partners to reappraisal and determine connected an end-of-century action by 2040 successful our Thames Estuary 2100 Plan, to guarantee nan superior is protected complete nan longer term.”

What is nan Thames Barrier?

The Thames Barrier was opened connected 8 May 1984 by Queen Elizabeth II and was meant to protect London from flooding until 2030. It took 8 years to build and costs £535 cardinal (€621 mn) - nan balanced of astir £2 cardinal (€2.3 bn) today.

Located downstream from Greenwich and adjacent to London City Airport, nan obstruction is made up of 10 alloy gates that are arsenic wide arsenic nan opening of Tower Bridge. When raised, these gates are arsenic gangly arsenic a five-storey building.

The obstruction helps to forestall terrible flooding crossed 125 quadrate kilometres of nan metropolis and defence walls would request to beryllium 3 metres taller if it wasn’t there.

Since its construction, nan Thames Barrier has been closed a full of 221 times. Storm surges and tidal flooding would person inundated buildings on nan broadside of nan Thames without it.