With all the focus on flooding and sewage spill from the wastewater network at the minute; there was a recent article in the Guardian on how our landscapes are drying out that particularly caught my eye.
Rainfall often arrives unevenly, either as too little or too much. In both cases, landscapes suffer. The key to halting this cycle of land drying out lies in rethinking how we harness and distribute this precious resource. This is not just a technical issue—it’s a profound ecological and societal challenge.
As a society we have become very adept at draining both rural and urban landscapes. The change in mentality from ‘drain quickly away’ to ‘conserve and release slowly’ has been slow to take effect and the ways and the preferred approach for the most part is still reliant on over engineering rather than utilising the landscape.
We are in an era marked by climate extremes, where parched lands and receding water tables are becoming a familiar sight, the challenge of keeping landscapes alive is a significant one. The solution, however, comes from before the age of industry and technology: simply managing rainwater better.
Why we must change.
The drying out of landscapes is not merely an environmental issue; it’s a chain reaction. Dehydrated soils lose their ability to support vegetation, triggering erosion. Biodiversity dwindles, livelihoods are threatened, and the risk of desertification becomes very real. Much of this is preventable with logical rainwater management strategies.
Going back to our roots
We only have to go back a couple of generations to a time where there was no ‘mains’ running water and water generally had to be pumped by hand from a local groundwater source. Because of the time and energy taken to source water, its value was real and tangible, and something not to be wasted. I have direct experience of this as a kid, as I often had to ‘fetch’ the water for an elderly uncle who resisted the temptation of having mains water tapped into his house (along with double glazed windows and central heating!).
Historically, communities from all parts of the world understood the value of rain. These systems worked passively and were in tune with the water cycle. Basic principles of capturing water at source for reuse and slowing water down, spreading it out, and allowing it to sink in are simple yet effective principles that can be applied regardless of context or typology.
Key Strategies for Stopping Drying Landscapes
Harvest the Rain Where It Falls Imagine landscapes where every drop of rain is a resource, not a runoff problem. Rain gardens, swales, and contour bunds can transform barren areas into thriving ecosystems. These systems slow down water flow, allowing it to infiltrate the ground instead of washing away precious topsoil.
Recharging the Earth’s Veins – Groundwater, often treated as an infinite reserve, is depleting on a world wide scale (between 1993 and 2010, humans pumped more than 2 trillion tons of groundwater.). So much water has been pumped, that the north pole is suggested to be shifting 4cm per year. We can direct rainwater back into aquifers, restoring balance to overdrawn groundwater systems through and Managed Aquifer Recharge using SuDS infiltration features. This not only replenishes invisible reserves but also keeps surface soils moist, creating a positive feedback loop. However, as a word of caution we must be careful in this approach and and ensure that that the water we put back in is clean, so as not to pollute this valuable resource.
Restoring our Vegetative Armor – Forests and vegetation act as natural sponges, absorbing rain and releasing it gradually. Reforestation and agroforestry initiatives enhance this capability, preventing landscapes from drying out. in terms of managing extreme rainfall and preventing flooding, I have witnessed urban landscapes retrofitted with green infrastructure with increasing potential over time for absorbing flood waters, well beyond their original design horizon. There will be a future post into why this is.
Urban Areas – an underutilised resource? Towns and cities are often overlooked in rainwater management discussions, seen as a problem rather than part of the solution, yet they play a critical role. Permeable pavements, green roofs, and a wide array of other #naturebasedSuDS features can turn concrete jungles into #spongecities, reducing runoff and cooling the urban heat islands that exacerbate drying.
Policy and Community– Policies that incentivise rainwater harvesting, protect critical watersheds, and regulate unsustainable water use are essential. This is fundamental in urban catchments where the combined sewerage network is at capacity either due to sewage spills of foul water to streams and rivers or capacity of the treatment works.
I believe that equally important is engaging communities to take ownership of local water resources.
The Vision Ahead
Stopping landscapes from drying out is about more than water; it’s about reconnecting with the rhythms of nature. It’s about recognizing that water is not just a commodity but a shared legacy, essential for life in all its forms.
By taking water out of (or at least delaying it getting into) our sewerage system, we can create capacity in our sewerage networks, short circuiting requirement for major capital investment and freeing up capacity for future development.
The challenge of reversing land degradation and water scarcity may seem daunting, but the solutions are within reach. Every action counts, the landscapes of tomorrow depend on the rain we save today.
What we can do
As a company we are in tune with the needs of the community and adopt a ‘design for people first’ attitude in the integrated management of rainwater as part of the landscape. Contact Anthony or any of the team at www.mccloyconsulting.com if you want to find out more about our #design and #training services in SuDS, flood risk and rainwater management.