Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Learning lessons from the UK floods

Edie.net: Those affected by the summer floods are being called upon to share their experiences with an independent review of the disaster to help Government improve its response to future emergencies. Sir Michael Pitt, the independent chair overseeing the government's Lessons Learned review, is asking the victims of the flooding to log onto a website to describe what happened to them and also to make suggestions on how things could have been done better.

The review aims to understand why the flooding was so extensive, look at ways to improve flood prediction and response in the future, consider where more resources are needed, ensure the public has all the necessary information at its finger tips and generally improve the UK's readiness to deal with environmental disaster. It also aims to learn from good practice and build on success stories as well as highlight possible short-comings.

Sir Michael will also be visiting affected communities in coming months to learn first hand about the floods. In his role as Independent Chairman of the Lessons Learned Review, Sir Michael will report to Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; and Ed Miliband, Minister for the Cabinet Office…

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