The Pitt Review
27 July 2008
In December 2007 Sir Michael Pitt produced an interim report into the floods that took place in June and July of 2007. This document acted as a consultation document for the final review which was published on 25th June 2008.
The floods of last year caused the country’s largest peacetime emergency since World War II. The impact of climate change means that the probabililty of events on a similar scale happening in future is increasing. So the Review calls for urgent and fundamental changes in the way the country is adapting to the likelihood of more frequent and intense periods of heavy rainfall.
Four principles have guided the Review and the conclusions reached.
- The needs of those individuals and communities who have suffered flooding or are at risk.
- That change will only happen with strong and more effective leadership across the board. At the national level, this will ensure that the recommendations are driven through, at the local level, this will improve the way of dealing with the immense challenges faced by communities before, during and after flooding.
- Must be much clearer about who does what. The recommendations will ensure that people and organisations are held to account, structures are simple and outcomes are more certain.
- must be willing to work together and share information.