LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) – The British government is inadequately prepared for extreme weather events that could cause significant disruption, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report published on Wednesday. .
The NAO, an independent public spending watchdog, is investigating droughts, surface water flooding, storms, The company said it evaluated resilience to four extreme weather risks: high temperatures.
The report says that while governments are working to strengthen the systems in place and reduce risks, more needs to be done and sooner to prepare for and build resilience to extreme weather events. said.
“Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, and governments need to increase their focus on mitigating these risks and making systems more resilient to the worsening impacts of extreme weather events,” the report said. .
“The challenge for governments now is how to place sufficient emphasis on prevention and preparedness and make informed decisions about prioritization to ensure efficient and effective investment in the long term. .”
NAO says government departments must accelerate a coordinated, prioritized approach to investment in climate change and broader resilience, to develop by 2025 and bring forward the existing target of 2030 to 2028. He said that it is necessary to implement this.
The NAO said the lack of effective strategies and targets made it difficult for governments to make informed decisions about investment, and that extreme weather spending was currently not tracked or evaluated. added.
Reporting by Kylie McClellan.Editing: Susan Fenton
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