Strategic planning for flood risk management Adrian Philpott Team Leader Flood Risk Management Environment Agency Wales 28 th April 2010
My presentation Flood risk Trehafod 1979 Flood defence to flood risk management Strategic plans What do they mean locally? Trehafod now
New risk and existing risk Strategic planning can influence; New development Existing development Boscastle
Flood Risk = Probability X Consequence Flood Risk = Probability X Mold
Current flood risk 220,000 rivers and sea 97,000 of these also at risk of surface water flooding 137,000 at risk of surface water flooding alone Around 1 in 6 buildings at risk of flooding
Infrastructure at risk Flood level Sewerage infrastructure 80% Electricity supplies 22% Emergency services - 800 Hospitals Schools Other community facilities Telecommunications
Infrastructure at risk - Transport 33% of railways are in flood areas 11% of main roads are in flood areas Llanrwst February 2004 Bridges Cumbria 2009
Supplies power to some 500,000 people in Gloucestershire and South Wales Impacts of flooding can be felt far from where the flooding occurs Walham switching station Gloucestershire - 2007
Current flood risk Around 7% of land area at risk small but. There is a lot at risk High potential for significant community impacts
Future flooding Investment needs in defences over 25 years Investment is economically justified Potential 3 fold increase needed Wider range of actions Sources of funding
Drivers for change Hopkinstown 1998 & now Flooding 1998, 2000, 2007, 2009 etc Foresight Report 2004 - Future Flooding Welsh Assembly Government - Environment Strategy Pitt Review post 2007 floods Climate Change UKCP09 Strategic approach Move from flood defence to flood risk management
So what's wrong with traditional flood defence? Rossett
Carlisle Jan 2005 Inappropriate development? Moveable assets?-21 plus vehicles No building resilience Note this fence! Flood defence
Fence gone!
Key FRM messages for the future Flooding is already a serious threat It is going to get worse Large costs involved We cannot continue in the future as we have in the past Cannot only rely on building defences We need a range of actions to manage flood risk Need to take a long term view Midlands - Summer 2007
Strategic flood risk management Setting short term decisions in a longer term context Flooding in Wales etc Catchment Flood Management Plans Shoreline Management Plans Flood risk management strategies
Catchment Flood Management Plans Ten CFMPs in Wales Completed March 2009 Summary Documents Indicate potential future flood risk High level steer activity to highest risks
Shoreline Management Plans (SMP2) Coastal Groups SMP1 completed 8/10 years ago Review underway Policies for the shoreline Actions to deliver the policies and manage the residual risk
Flood risk management - Strategies More local and detailed than Catchment Flood Management Plans and Shoreline Management Plans Determine local mix of actions Tidal Dee Tidal Clwyd Severn Estuary Borth March 2008
Strategic plans Non-statutory Influence and inform Consider 100 year timeframe Set vision or direction of travel Why is this important? Pendine
? Future Future Most likely? NOW? Future Future?
Most likely Future Future If we don t know the destination how can we make the journey? Future Future
People & Communities Future Now Understand the risk You cannot manage it, if you don t understand it Can the risk be managed to an acceptable level Now L x C How deep How fast How often If no, change, move relocate Yes Climate change, flood, water supply Defences Future Takes time! Economic growth, jobs, location etc Vision
Example How do we get 20% more flow down this river? What should this look like in the future? concrete canyon or green corridor? Who decides? How do we move from where we are To where we want to be
Questions from an Engineer! Does our planning system enable a long term vision to be set for communities? Can it deliver the changes needed to adapt to climate change and increasing flood risk?
To conclude: Taking a strategic and precautionary approach to flood risk is not new
But what if its just a shower? THANK YOU
Flooding is about people!