When we think of the Ministerial portfolio for flooding, we often focus on the billions in investment, the strategic engineering of sea walls and the complex data of hydraulic modelling. However, behind the policy papers and the budgetary allocations lies a human element that is far more profound.
In this exclusive interview for Flood Industry Magazine, the aim was to move beyond the usual talk of assets and deliverables to understand the personal weight of the role and the emotional landscape of being the person the nation looks to during a crisis.
We asked Emma Hardy MP to explore these challenges, and what was discovered was a Minister whose commitment is rooted not in a dry political interest, but in a vivid, first-hand memory of disaster. Before entering Westminster, Emma Hardy was a primary school teacher who experienced the 2007 floods from the front line. She speaks candidly about the heartbreak of seeing children traumatised as their classrooms filled with water, a moment that clearly still drives her resolve today. It is this lived experience that seems to inform her approach to the immense pressure of the role, turning the emotional toll of visiting devastated communities into a catalyst for legislative change.
The following exchange delves into how she carries these stories back to the Ministry, the personal mark she hopes to leave on the UK’s resilience and her frank assessment of the poorest condition on record of the assets she inherited. This is not just an interview about infrastructure; it is a look at the grit and empathy required to lead the nation's flood response in an era of climate uncertainty.
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What was it about the challenge of flood resilience that drew you to this Ministerial portfolio personally?
EH: Before I became the Floods Minister, I was a primary school teacher in East Riding.
Sadly, the school I taught in was badly flooded during the severe storms in 2007. My class had to be evacuated and were taught in temporary spaces for the following months.
It was heartbreaking to see these young children being traumatised as they saw their classrooms filling with water. No one’s learning should be interrupted so significantly.
After witnessing the devastating impacts of flooding first hand, I became determined to help deliver change. Tackling future flood risk is a major part of my role, ensuring serious incidents like in 2007 can be avoided.
How do you manage the immense pressure and emotional toll that comes with knowing the decisions you make directly impact people's homes and livelihoods during a flood crisis?
EH: Speaking to people who have had their homes directly impacted by floods, of course, has an emotional toll.
Last year, I visited Melton Mowbray to speak with community leaders and responders, who had seen their town badly impacted by flooding. It was heartbreaking to hear their stories, but I was also inspired by their resolve to bounce back stronger.
These conversations just hit home harder to me that the decisions we are taking are so important and will deliver real change for communities.
When you visit a community devastated by flooding, what is the key takeaway or emotion that you carry back to the Ministry in Westminster?
EH: I find myself inspired by the resilience of communities that have been affected, particularly those that are often flooded year on year and continue to bounce back to normality.
I return to my office resolved and committed to continuing our work. These experiences were at the forefront of my mind when developing our policies to replace the outdated system for allocating funding for flood defences. Now, we’re building further resilience by making it quicker and easier to deliver new defences in our towns and cities.
What is the single most critical change or lesson that you have personally championed?
EH: If there’s one thing I’ve learned about flooding, it’s that no single organisation can tackle it alone.
2024 was one of the wettest years on record, and it was clear to me that communities needed faster warnings, better coordination, and stronger recovery support.
This is why I championed bringing all responsible organisations together under the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which has completely changed how we prepare for and respond to floods.
This partnership between national and local government, emergency services, environmental groups, and others, has delivered real results making a difference to all of our lives. This includes smarter flood modelling, clearer warning systems, and rapid updates on surface water risks so first responders can act quickly and save lives.
Looking at the UK as a whole, what do you believe is the single greatest challenge we face in managing flood risk over the next 15 years?
EH: Ensuring our flood defences are in optimum condition is the greatest challenge, especially in the face of our changing climate.
When I became Floods Minister, I found that existing flood assets were in their poorest condition on record. Years of underinvestment, ageing assets, and repeated severe storms meant that communities were put at greater risk, and families and businesses were forced to pay the price.
Seeing the devastating effects of this on our communities, £108 million was reprioritised into maintenance, which has halted the deterioration of our assets. In our new reforms, for the first time, refurbishment of existing flood defences will be treated on an equal footing with new projects. This will recognise the growing pressure on ageing assets and ensuring vital repairs that cannot be addressed through routine maintenance are eligible for the funding.
When you eventually step away from this role, what is the personal mark or change you hope to be remembered for having implemented in the UK's approach to flooding?
EH: My role has been incredibly rewarding so far, and I look forward to spending many more years as the Floods Minister. We’ve already got plans to better protect nearly 900,000 properties, and I want to continue this important work.
I am particularly proud to have overseen the biggest overhaul in how funding goes to flood and coastal projects. Starting in April, we will be supporting innovative approaches such as natural flood management and property flood resilience.
In the end, if we’ve helped communities feel more prepared and less vulnerable, then I’ll consider that a legacy worth leaving. But there is still time to leave a bigger mark, and as our changing climate brings more severe weather patterns, I will be focused on helping communities be prepared and making sure there are no barriers in the way of boosting the nation’s flood resilience.
This interview appeared in Issue 11 of Flood Industry magazine, March/April 2026. You can view it here.