If everyone on the planet lived like the average south-east resident we would need three and a half planets to support our current lifestyle It's now or never. Modern life is taking a massive toll on our already fragile environment. If drastic steps are not taken it will be ruined forever.

The stark warning comes in a new Environment Agency report, which was discussed at a gathering of green experts from the south-east.

In the report, Howard Davidson, the agency's southern regional director, says: "The state of the environment in the south-east is fragile.

"Our energy use is increasing, the amount of waste we produce is growing and we have seen more cases of illegal waste dumping.

"The population is growing and new development brings increasing demands on the environment."

Urgent action is needed to save water, preserve energy, boost recycling, protect endangered species and guard against flooding if future generations are to be spared a bleak environment.

That was the message from the annual conference, which saw experts in all environmental fields from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight meet in Southampton to exchange opinions and recommendations on how best to save the area from the damage the modern world is causing.

The key message to delegates was one of facing up to responsibility.

James Humphrys, the Environment Agency's Hampshire and Isle of Wight area manager, said: "Perhaps the generations before us did not take these issues quite so seriously, but we have a considerable responsibility now.

"That's not a criticism, but we are now more acutely aware of our responsibility. If we get it wrong over the coming years, our children and our grandchildren will have to live with it. We only have one chance."

Saving water was top of the agenda, with both good and bad news. Mr Humphrys said: "There is some light at the end of the tunnel. Water consumption has gone down, which we can attribute to the carefulness of people in the light of the drought we have had.

"But drought is still a major issue. It's not what happens in the summer, it's the amount of rainfall in winter that counts and it has been well below average for the last two winters."

Water metering is supported by the Environment Agency as a means of reducing water consumption.

The conference heard that water consumption typically reduces from 160 litres to 120 litres per person, per day, in homes that are metered.

Raising awareness of protecting against flooding is one of the agency's current targets.

"We cannot protect against everything and flooding will happen," said Mr Humphrys.

"The average cost to a homeowner if their house gets flooded is £28,000. For a burglary, it's about £900. We are going to have stormier winters and hotter, drier summers, with an increased risk of localised flooding.

"About 310,000 properties in the south-east are currently at flood risk, but less than 30 per cent of them are registered to receive flood warnings - that's a message we have got to get out."

The story was equally disheartening when it came to waste.

Mr Humphrys said: "We are not doing well with waste. Although we are recycling more - we have improved recycling by 30 per cent in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the last few years - municipal waste as a whole has increased by 70 per cent over the same time period.

"Sixty-eight per cent of that is landfilled and we simply cannot afford to carry on like that.

"We have to produce waste, but we have got to re-use it where we can. Energy from incineration is something we must focus on."

Portsmouth and Southampton are also hot spots in the south-east for fly-tipping - more is dumped in these two cities than anywhere else in the region.

Charges for disposing waste are due to increase over the next few years, which is expected to tempt more people to dump waste illegally.

The conference heard populations of water vole and salmon are at serious risk.

Mr Humphrys said: "The two could become extinct in certain areas of the south-east soon. Salmon in the River Test and the Itchen are below conservation targets."

Work is under way to improve their natural habitats in areas across the region, but it is a further testament to the toll modern living has taken on the environment.

Summing up, Mr Humphrys said: "We are progressing, but things are fragile. We must not be doom and gloom about this. We are doing things, but we are quite fragile in some areas.

"Global climate change is up there with terrorism as major concerns of modern times and we have got to address it."