Written question asked by William Bain (Labour) on Friday, 25 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 1 March 2011. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Thursday, 3 March 2011 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Water Supply: Climate Change

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of climate change on the supply of water in each of the next four years.

Answer: Water companies in England and Wales are required to submit water resources management plans every five years and to describe how forecasts in those plans take into account the implications of climate change.The Environment Agency's 2009 Water Resources Strategy concluded that total annual resources could reduce by up to 15% by the 2050s, with much greater reductions in summer. The Environment Agency encourages all abstractors to use water efficiently and, where new supplies are needed, to opt for flexible sources which are resilient to climate change.The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment is in progress under the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008. The risk assessment includes the water sector and is due to report in January 2012. Under the Adaptation Reporting Power of the Act, individual organisations, including the Environment Agency and water companies in England and Wales, have been making assessments of the current and future predicted impacts of climate change on their organisations, and of their proposals for adapting to climate change.

Secondary information