It is hard to believe that beavers, nature’s hardworking and sometimes pestering dam builders can help somebody lower their insurance bill. But this is true, according to recent studies.
A Telegraph UK report outlined how, for the past several years, the cost of home cover for flood-prone communities has been spiralling and millions of extra properties faced being added to the at-risk register in the coming years because of extreme weather. However, the reintroduction of beavers to the estuaries has proven effective in countering this trend.
In the case of Finchingfield, Essex, the report noted that because of the increase in the beaver population, flooding has been prevented - the natural dams that beavers have been building can hold at least three million litres of water.
Scientists like geography professor Richard Brazier, of the University of Exeter (UoE), have been in awe of what these marvellous creatures can do to introduce positive changes to their surroundings.
“We’re absolutely run off our feet with feasibility studies to introduce these animals,” Brazier in the Telegraph UK interview.
“For example, Sheffield City Council has funded a big study to look at the role that beavers might play in making catchments that flow into the city more resilient. There’s a huge appetite for it, we are inundated with interest from councils, charities, loads of landowners, estate owners, and large farmowners,” he added.
Because of their “water controlling” capacity, beavers can lower the home insurance bills of those living in flood-prone areas, the report said, citing a 2020 study by the UoE.
Since the weather has been constantly changing as a result of climate change, it is expected that financial losses will rise because of flooding. According to data, weather-related home insurance claims also hit a new record last year, with flooding accounting for half of the £573 million bill.
Due to this, scientists and environmentalists have been calling on both local and national governments to fully reintroduce these critters to the wild to help with the flood problem.
“In the face of the climate emergency, where flooding and droughts are becoming more regular and severe, we need to be creative in our responses,” said Dr Holly Barclay, of the Devon Wildlife Trust, in the Telegraph UK interview. “Beavers and the help they can give us are one cost-effective natural solution to help tackle society’s growing environmental challenges.”
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