We need a Dutch-style Delta plan to stem the tide of floods | Henk van Klaveren

With each new deluge the UK learns nothing, unlike the Netherlands, which has adapted to the changing nature of the threat

When more than 1,800 people died in the wake of the 1953 North Sea flood in the Netherlands, the national reaction was: never again. The resulting Delta programme to close off the south-western river delta from the sea was so bold that its name became synonymous with dealing with a crisis. If an issue needs a major response, you can be sure that a Dutch politician will call for a "Delta plan to tackle X". It is time that the UK took some of that attitude and got a Delta plan to tackle flooding.

Flooding has become an almost annual event in the UK. We are waiting for the next storm and flash flood to hit, with another group - or even the same group - of people evacuated, all followed by the promise of some money for a bit of flood defence work. As a nation, we can no longer afford to accept that. Consider the personal misery for those affected, even in areas not traditionally flood-prone like Manchester and Leeds. Consider that the financial cost of these events will continue to rise - and not only for the government. Every home insurance policy now includes a 10.50 Flood Re levy to subsidise insurance for homes with a high risk of flooding.

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