The UK’s critical infrastructure networks are ‘extremely vulnerable to disruption and failure’, and more must be done to protect them, according to the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
The ICE State of the nation: Defending critical infrastructure report has urged the Government to set up a single point of authority to co-ordinate agencies responsible for the defence of the nation’s energy, transport, waste and water systems.
The organisation’s inquiry found that very little was being done to ensure service continuity, and no agency had overall responsibility for defence against system failure. ICE suggested the said authority could, therefore, step in and provide a ‘desperately needed vital overview’ to address the lack of co-ordination.
The investigation pointed towards the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks on the London public transport system as one example of the widespread disruption which can occur.
It added that failure to adequately maintain and protect critical infrastructure, or to build in any reserve capacity, left the UK potentially as vulnerable to critical failure as acts of terrorism or natural disasters did.
The CSS (County Surveyors’ Society) told the inquiry the greatest threat to infrastructure stemmed from ‘inadequate investment’ in maintenance and central government’s lack of strategic improvement in capacity. ‘There is a real need for both capital and revenue resources to be redirected into the local highway network, if it is to regain the resilience demanded of it by society today.’
The organisation called on government and regulators to ensure maintenance funding was ring-fenced so that money intended for ongoing maintenance would not be spent elsewhere during difficult financial times.
The report said: ‘The format of the national accounts should be reviewed to ensure the ongoing costs of maintaining infrastructure are much clearer, and to ensure politicians suffer as much criticism for a decline in the value of our fixed assets as they do for a drop in GDP.’
Alan Stilwell, leader of the inquiry, said: ‘Well-defended critical infrastructure is central to the security and stability of the nation. We must work now to fortify our networks, or pay the economic, social and environmental price in future.’
• Defending critical infrastructure : www.ice.org.uk
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