Climate change, flooding and SUDs
Whether you believe Al Gore or the skeptics both arguments point to a change in climate which, with only a few degrees increase in average temperature, will have a major butterfly effect on human well being. One of these impacts will be greater levels of flooding as shown in John Vidal's article below.
Having said that urban flash flooding has a lot to do with the fact we have covered too much of the ground with hard impermeable surfaces. This is not a sustainable concept and has resulted in drainage systems that can't cope with rainwater surges caused by the water having nowhere natural to drain. Green roofs as in our Shell House scheme and SUDs are going to have greater relevance in the design of future cities if we expect our existing infrastructure to cope with increasing levels of rainfall.
