Initial flood management work has commenced on a 200-metre stretch of the River Parrett, the Environment Agency has confirmed today.

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The work forms part of the 20 year plan established as part of the government's response to devastating floods that, at their height, inundated over 100km2. The work begun on Monday will complement dredging of an eight kilometre stretch of river near where the Tone and Parrett meet at Burrowbridge, officials said.

Flooding in Somerset was the result of months of extreme weather; record rainfall in the region over a prolonged period led to widespread flooding between December and February. In response, the Environment Agency mounted the country's largest ever pumping operation on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

Led by Conservative MP for Bridgewater Ian Liddell-Grainger, local people demanded dredging take place on the levels as part of the action plan, which was drawn up by a number of stakeholders at the request of environment secretary Owen Paterson.

In January, the Environment Agency said that de-silting work had last been carried out on pinch points on the Parrett and Tone rivers in November 2013.

The Agency warned that, whilst dredging may provide some benefit to managing future flood risk on the Somerset Levels, "it is not always the best long-term or economic solution [and] Increased dredging of rivers on the Somerset Levels would not have prevented the recent widespread flooding because of the sheer volume of rainfall."

The Environment Agency added, "On tidal stretches of rivers, silt immediately begins to return to the river following dredging. Where dredging increases river flows, it can also make flooding worse downstream."

On Monday, Dr Paul Leinster, the Agency's Chief Executive, said, "Today is an important milestone in the work to reduce the risk of flooding to people, property and land in Somerset and we welcome the additional money from Government that has allowed us to undertake this further dredging.

"We are committed to dredging as part of the joint action plan which includes other measures such as supporting farmers and making some temporary flood risk management measures permanent. We will continue to work closely with Defra, Somerset County Council and other partners to reduce the impact of future floods."

John Osman, Leader of Somerset County Council Councillor, said, "It is vital that our flood-hit communities know this activity is taking place to give them some reassurance, but dredging is only part of the solution. The Somerset Moors and Levels Flood Action Plan is key to reducing the risk of flooding in the future and we will work hard to win the funding necessary to deliver it."

The Environment Agency said it is working across the country to repair defences damaged over the last three months of extreme weather.

Questioned as to whether climate change could have played a part in flooding over the past few months on Monday – which also marked the publication of a major UN Climate Change report – West Somerset MP Mr Liddell-Grainger told Sky News, "I don't take the UN seriously at all. I suspect they have never been here which is usually how the UN operates. I think if I was right it [the IPCC report] was written by somebody from Puerto Rico, so it's hardly going to be taken seriously."

The IPCC's Working Group II report was compiled by over 300 scientific experts. It warns that, for people living in Western Europe, rising sea levels, increases in peak river flows and more extreme weather will increase the likelihood and severity of flooding.

The Working Group's co-chair, Vincente Barros, from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, said on Monday Morning, "We live in an era of man-made climate change. In many cases, we are not prepared for the climate-related risks that we already face. Investments in better preparation can pay dividends both for the present and for the future."

Barros and his co-chair Chris Field said that all too often adaptation measures being implemented by governments around the world have been reactive; they cautioned that mitigation efforts have tended to have "a stronger focus on reacting to past events than on preparing for a changing future."