The East of England is set to confront critical challenges in the coming decades, as rising temperatures, diminishing rainfall and a surge of over 720,000 new residents loom.
That’s according to research commissioned by Anglian Water, which suggests the region, responsible for one-fifth of the country’s crops and a third of its vegetables, faces threats to both economic and social prosperity.
The report, titled “Thriving East” and conducted in collaboration with Capital Economics, underscores the severity of challenges in the Anglian Water region, positioning it as the most threatened in the country outside of London.
Projections from the Met Office indicate that temperatures in the region will surpass the UK average, coupled with record-low rainfall at 1.9mm per day, the lowest in the UK.
The report advocates for ambitious infrastructure investment to proactively address these challenges and foster thriving conditions.
Peter Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Water, said: “Our role is to facilitate growth and prosperity in the region through significant investment, with our most recent business plan for 2025-30 – our largest ever – outlining a proposed £9 billion of essential investment in the region.
“But to achieve this it will require close collaboration with local authorities, businesses, community groups and regulators to unlock opportunities for generations to come.
“We hope that this acts as a rallying cry to help bring together everyone who shares our ambition to capitalise on the many opportunities and in delivering a prosperous, thriving future for the region.”
