Welcome to our ninth State of the Environment report for the South East. First published in 2000, it is the barometer of the region's environmental health. Our aim is that the information presented here will inform the decisions and actions across the region that can help protect and improve the environment for everyone who lives here.
Here are just a few of this year's headlines.
Our river and coastal habitats across the South East and our vital water resources are already under pressure from climate change. We also need to accommodate 666,000 new homes by 2026, with forecast population growth of half a million over the next six years. We believe this will be possible, but only if we change the way we live in the South East to protect the environment for the future.
Some river flows could fall by as much as 35% by 2050, as population and climate change pressures bite. But the average person in the South East uses 156 litres of water per day. This will have to fall to 130 litres if future demand is to be met.
An additional 17,000 properties were protected from flooding in the last six years and we invested £12 million last year alone. But there are still 403,000 properties at risk of river and sea flooding in the South East, more than any other region of the UK.
Household recycling rates have improved from 16.4% to 38.4% in the last eight years and the proportion of municipal waste going to landfill has fallen below half for the first time last year. But we still send more waste to landfill than any other region and if we continue at current rates, the region's landfills could be full in seven years.
The South East is a great place in which to live, to work and to relax. Our challenge now is to ensure the decisions and actions we all take will secure the sustainable prosperity of the region over the next decades, and protect the high-quality environment we currently enjoy for future generations.
Your views matter
We welcome your comments on the report and would be pleased to receive suggestions on key issues that you feel should be reported upon in the future. We are currently reviewing the way we report and are considering options for the future, so your input at this stage will really matter.
