Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
1953 and was finally ready for use in 1982 (it was officially opened on 8 May 1984). The
Thames Barrier protects 150 km
2
of London and property worth at least £1 trillion. Be-
cause of the foresight of previous scientific advisors to the UK government, it was built to
withstand a one-in-2,000-year flood. With the increased sea level due to climate change,
this risk by 2030 will increase to a one-in-1,000-year event. For example, between 1982
and 2001 it was closed 63 times. In the winter 2000/1, it was closed 24 times. In 2003, the
barrier was closed for 14 consecutive tides, and in November 2007 it was closed twice for
a storm surge the same size as the one that occurred in 1953. In the winter of 2013/14 it
was closed 50 times which is a quarter of all the times it has been closed. At the moment,
the UK economy is the sixth largest in the world, approximately £1.4 trillion per year gen-
erated through London. London is also one of the three main centres, along with New
York and Tokyo, for 24-hour share-trading. If London were disabled by a major flood,
then not only would this hit the economy of the UK, but potentially it could disrupt global
trade and precipitate a global recession similar to that started in 2008. Hence the UK En-
vironment Agency has put in place plans to guard against a significant sea-level rise in the
future, including plans for a new barrier between Essex and Kent to guard against a pos-
sible 4 m rise in sea level.
