Steps must be taken to protect the UK's broadband networks from the damaging effects of climate change, the environment secretary has warned.

Caroline Spelman said "urgent action" is required to ensure broadband and other essential infrastructure - including transport links and power supplies - can cope with the impact of more extreme weather conditions.

If planners fail to take global warming into account, the country's economy could suffer, she insisted.

Her comments came at London's Blackfriars Station, which is currently undergoing a £550 million renovation that includes sustainability technology such as sun pipes, thermal insulation, solar panels and rain harvesting systems.

According to Ms Spelman, £200 billion is expected to be invested in the UK's infrastructure over the next five years. Of this amount, the government has announced £830 million will be spent on its attempt to deploy the best super-fast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

This plan will see a "digital hub" installed in every community, plus a £50 million investment in a second wave of super-fast broadband pilot sites to test the most effective ways of delivering the technology.

Ms Spelman has previously said rolling out high-speed broadband is "probably the single most important thing we can do" to end the digital divide and ensure the sustainability of rural communities.

But speaking at the train station yesterday (May 9th 2011), she stated any money spent on improving internet access will have been wasted if the infrastructure is unable to cope with the impact of floods, droughts or freezing winters.

"Our economy is built on effective transport and communications networks and reliable energy and water supplies," she remarked. "But the economy cannot grow if there are repeated power failures, or goods cannot be transported because roads are flooded and railways have buckled, or if intense rainfall or high temperatures disrupt Wi-Fi signals."

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