IEMA spokespeople quoted extensively in recent UK heatwave and drought coverage

IEMA's Digital Journalist Tom Pashby reflects back on the expansive media coverage IEMA participated in around the news of enforced hosepipe bans, heatwaves and the water crisis.

The UK has seen record-breaking temperatures over summer, leading to weather alerts and drought being declared across parts of England. Spokespeople for IEMA – CEO Sarah Mukherjee MBE and Deputy CEO Martin Baxter have been busy helping to inform the public about what’s been happening, and raising calls for improved capacity to prevent and adapt to these extreme weather events, which have been influenced by the climate emergency.

Martin Baxter, Deputy CEO and Director of Policy and External Affairs, was quoted in the Observer, saying:

“What we are seeing now is that climate impacts in terms of more extreme weather events are happening more frequently and at a greater magnitude than was anticipated. We have really got to become more resilient to what we know is on the way.”

He was also quoted across Bloomberg, MSN, the Mirror, MailOnline, the Independent and the Evening Standard, saying:

"We have to double down and reduce the leakage in our water systems, losing three billion litres per day is unacceptable when an average household uses just 142 litres per day.

"We must help people use less water by, for example, having showers rather than baths, not using a hosepipe, planting drought resilient plants, and by installing water meters in homes.

“There also needs to be better natural storage solutions for water to conserve every drop.”

Martin also appeared on BBC News, TalkTV, discussing the hosepipe ban and on BBC Radio Five Live.

Finally, Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO, appeared on BBC News’ Outside Source programme, where she spoke about the heatwave, water crisis, and the need to work towards a more climate-resilient future.