Drought: how it is managed in England – proposed updated response framework

The Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring, reporting and acting to reduce the impact of drought on the natural environment. 

The ‘Drought: how it is managed in England’ document is the updated version of the ‘National Drought Response Framework’ released in 2017. It describes:  

• how drought affects England  
• how the Environment Agency works with government, water companies and others to manage the effects on people, business and the environment 

Each of the Environment Agency’s 14 operational areas also produce their own area drought plans, which serve as operational guidelines for their response to drought. The ‘Drought: how it is managed in England’ document supports the area drought plans by providing: 

• a strategic overview for how we manage a drought to minimise damage to the environment, agriculture and to secure essential public water supply 
• information for our staff, government departments and stakeholders to use in planning for and managing drought  

This consultation will help us to gather feedback and input on the document, and to draw out any area-specific concerns that should be considered by our operational areas as they update their area drought plans.