Less than 1 per cent of Defra staff working on climate adaptation, figures show

Scorched turf at the Saffron Walden turf maze in Essex (Image: Will Meakin-Durrant/PA Wire)

LESS than 1% of staff in a key government department are working on climate adaptation, it has emerged.

The Guardian has reported just 20 of 6613 staff (0.3%) within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are focusing on the issue despite almost three-quarters of England having been declared in drought earlier this week.