How do we prepare for a future water shortage?

Did you step outside this morning and feel something odd on your face or neck? Its called rain. We’ve hardly had any this summer and the result was the declaration this month of drought status across two thirds of England and almost all of Wales. The reservoirs are low. And the future looks parched: the government estimates that by 2055, England will face a water shortfall of 5 billion litres a day. To put that in context we currently use 14 billion litres.

Why has this happened and how can we fix it? Other than everyone moving to Scotland.

Step inside The Briefing Room and together we’ll find out.

Guests:

Sir John Armitt, chair of The Public Private Partnership Commission

Professor Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risk at Oxford University

Dr Heather Smith, Senior Lecturer in Water Governance at Cranfield University

Production team:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

Producers: Ben Carter, Bob Howard and Kirsteen Knight

Editor: Penny Murphy

Sound engineer: James Beard