London releases £8 billion to adapt to climate shock

The amount is intended to "protect hundreds of thousands of homes, small businesses and vital infrastructure" through flood barriers or natural solutions, such as wetland restoration, the government said in a statement.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), responsible for advising the British executive on the subject, estimated in April that the United Kingdom was "not ready" to face the consequences of climate change.

In recent years, the country has experienced severe storms, causing flooding that has caused significant damage.

According to a recent report, more than 6,3 million properties are at risk of flooding in the country, and this number will increase to more than 8 million by 2050.

Experts also estimate that more than half of the best-quality agricultural land and more than a third of railways and roads across the country are already at risk.

While these investments are "absolutely necessary," they "must not overshadow the vital measures required now (...) to drastically reduce emissions," otherwise "there will come a time when adaptation will simply be impossible," the NGO Friends of the Earth told AFP.

The government's announcement comes as part of a new £725 billion ten-year infrastructure strategy on transport, housing and energy, which is due to be presented this week.