Natural Resources Wales: Supporting Delivery of Natural Flood Management across Wales. Jenny Dickinson Advisor, Flood Risk Strategy 3 May 2018

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1 Natural Resources Wales: Supporting Delivery of Natural Flood Management across Wales Jenny Dickinson Advisor, Flood Risk Strategy 3 May 2018

2 208,500 properties at risk of flooding in Wales Phil Noble 5 th Dec Garford Rd, Rhyl

3 Welsh Government Legislation & Key Policies Well Being of Future Generations Act 2016 Environment Act 2016 Natural Resource Policy

4 Natural Flood Management what is it? Not this!

5 But more of this Managed realignment Ditch blocking Using willow for channel management Leaky dams

6 Commonly used terminology Natural Flood Management Working with Natural Processes Using nature to reduce flood risk Nature based solutions Green infrastructure Green engineering Natural water retention measures No what matter you call it when used in the right location nature based measures can help manage flood risk and deliver positives for the environment.

7 3 accepted strands to NFM Infiltration free draining soil makes saturation less likely helping to reduce run-off e.g. reforestation & changes to land management Storing water by using and maintaining the capacity of ponds, ditches, channels or land Slowing the flow by increasing resistance to its flow, e.g. woody debris dams & re-meandering rivers

8 Does NFM work? works at the local scale and for smaller floods is complementary to hard engineering schemes almost always achieves multiple benefits for the environment and people.

9 Evidence gaps How to quantify downstream benefits? How many interventions and where? What intervention to use?

10 Working with Natural Processes Evidence Directory Collaborative research project with DEFRA, the EA, NRW & WG

11 Opportunity Mapping

12 NERC: Understanding the Effectiveness of Natural Flood Management 3.4 million research call Co-designed with DEFRA, the EA, SEPA, NRW & WG Aim: to understand suitability & effectiveness of NFM for a range of flood scenarios and across different catchment scales.

13 What are NRW doing? embed NFM principles across a range of our work activities looking wider than just flood risk implementing NFM measures almost always achieves multiple environmental benefits

14 Flood Risk Management Programme Delivering NFM: as part of a Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) scheme as part of our asset maintenance programme supporting and working with NRW colleagues to deliver environmental resilience & biodiversity enhancement projects

15 FCERM Capital Projects Dinas Powys, South Wales Swansea Vale Woody debris dams Upstream storage Habitat improvements Defences set back Wetland habitat Biodiversity & ecological enhancements

16 Ystradd Mynach River Rhymney in flood. Natural flood protection measures facing a stiff test! Demonstrates these measures can weather the floods!

17 Annual funding initiative Project Name Spend to Date Project Start Project End Description Project Driver Multiple Benefits Gwent Living Levels 15, Work to open up reens to reduce diffuse pollution, increased channel capacity & improved connectivity across the area. WFD NFM, Habitat Resilience, Connectivity Tywi Wildwood 15, Restoration of 27ha of upland blanket bog - improve water retention & attenuation. Habitat Restoration NFM, WFD Trothy Catchment Habitat Creation 36, Habitats creation to buffer diffuse pollution & improve flood water attenuation WFD NFM, Cultural Benefits, Habitat Restoration Mynydd Ton Peat Bog Restoration 13, Upland restoration to slow down / capture flows & reduce risk of flooding in the Rhondda. NFM, Habitat Restoration Cwmparc Peatbog Restoration 16, Upland habitat restoration to restore hydrology of the peatbog to retain the water restoring the sponge effect of the bog. Habitat Restoration NFM Llechwedd Llwyd Phase III 24, Ditch blocking, heathland creation & riparian/wet woodland creation. Habitat Restoration NFM Dyffryn Gwaun Wetland Creation Created new pond and marsh habitat to provide additional flood storage. Habitat Restoration Surface Water Flooding Ffrwd Wyllt SMNR 15, Feasibility study into NFM. Development of demonstration areas. Installation of runoff attenuation features to reduce downstream flood risk and improve habitat diversity. NFM Solva Catchment NFM Project 5, Investigate and demonstrate opportunities to reduce flood risk and enhance base flows through the installation of run-off attenuation features, wetland habitat creation, tree planting and sediment trapping. NFM WFD, Habitat Restoration

18 Frwydd Wyllt

19 Supporting Partners Cwm Ivy River Clwyd Credit: National Trust Partners with the National Trust 39ha saltmarsh habitat created Mitigation for future flood defences Wildlife & ecosystems benefits Supporting Cadwyn Clwyd Community based NFM initiative Help to understand the barriers & challenges

20 Supporting Partners The Barrog NFM Project, North Wales Frequent flooding NFM measures to mitigate climate change Flooding at Llanfair Talhaiarn, Nov 2012 Flood risk benefits Ecological enhancements Landowner benefits Contribute to evidence base

21 NRW well placed to deliver NFM Recognise it works Additional environmental benefits BUT Key evidence gaps Still developing our understanding of the challenges around practical delivery Limitations for high risk areas & larger flood events

22 Future Look Hope that NFM will form a wider part of the way NRW carries out its activities wider catchment approach to flood management delivering multiple environmental benefits becomes the norm.

23 Thank you More info Evidence Base: SMS Fund t/wales-rural-development-programme /sustainable-management-scheme/