PLANNING FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Flood Risk Management Protecting and Planning for our Communities PLANNING FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Mark Adamson Office of Public Works 12 th February, 2014

A WET START TO THE YEAR!

STORM CHRISTINE NEW YEAR THE PERFECT STORM Coincidence of: Highest Astronomical Tides Severe Depression -> Significant Storm Surge Very High Winds -> Significant Wave Set-Up Storm Damage & Erosion e.g., Lahinch Flooding: Extreme Sea Levels e.g., Galway City, Shannon Estuary, Cork, Dublin, Dundalk Wave Action e.g., Lahinch, Salthill, Tramore Significant Damage to Infrastructure

STORM BRIGID 1 st FEB ANOTHER ONE! Similar Coincidence of Events H.A.T. Conditions, Extreme Surge, Gale-Force Winds Westerly Winds -> Surge up the Shannon Estuary Limerick & Shannon Estuary Highest water levels in >80yrs Appx. 200mm higher than October 1961 Mainly Affected Areas around Kings Island & St. Mary s Park (300 Properties) Area Targeted for Re-Generation Decisions to be made! Affected Other Areas on West Coast

STORM BRIGID II 3/4 th FEB A THIRD!!! Same Story Again! H.A.T. Conditions, Extreme Surge, Gale-Force Winds Southerly Winds -> South / South East Coast Cork City: 3 rd Feb, a.m. & 4 th Feb, p.m. Levels Marginally Lower than 2004 Tidal Event Estimated 150 Business Properties Flooded South Coast Youghal, Passage East, Wexford, New Ross,

INLAND FLOODING PROLONGED PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL January: Above Average Everywhere: 122% 183% Monthly Average 18 29 Wet Days in the Month across the Country Wettest January in 5 21 Years February So Far: Conveyor Belt of Atlantic Storms Series of Days of Heavy Rainfall HIGH RIVER LEVELS

INLAND FLOODING

INLAND FLOODING

INLAND FLOODING

INLAND FLOODING PROLONGED PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL January: Above Average Everywhere: 122% 183% Monthly Average 18 29 Wet Days in the Month across the Country Wettest January in 5 21 Years February So Far: Conveyor Belt of Atlantic Storms Series of Days of Heavy Rainfall HIGH RIVER LEVELS Shannon Remains High since before New Year More Recently: West, South-West and South-East Limited Flooding of Communities

SO WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN?

AFFECTED PEOPLE RESIDENTS & BUSINESS OWNERS Many Un-Prepared Many Un-Insured HELP! HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME 10m (Storm Christine ) + 15m (Storm Bridgid ) Managed by Dept. Social Protection

AFFECTED PEOPLE BUT SOME WERE PREPARED Cork City Floods: We know what to do We were back in business 2 hours later Business Owner (3 rd Feb) Many Businesses Open again by Lunch-time or in the Afternoon RTE (5 th Feb) Not Possible for All (e.g., Catering) Resilience can Reduce Impact & Damages Need to Build Further Awareness, Preparedness & Resilience in our Communities

COUNCILS PRAISED FOR RECOVERY EFFORT PRAISED FOR PREPARATORY EFFORT Particularly so for 4 th Feb Opportunity for Review of Flood Event Emergency Response Plans REQUIRE FUNDING ASSISTANCE Govt. Committed 70m Fund for Repairs ONGOING NEED TO FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE PLANNING

PLANNING MAJOR CRITICISM AFTER NOV 09 EVENT NOW REFERRED TO AGAIN Has to be a lot more advance planning (some local authorities) need to do more Ciaran Cuffe, RTE, 4 th Feb Greater Focus Required on Coastal Areas Lot of Work Required to Solve Existing Problems Let s Not Create New Ones!

CLIMATE CHANGE REFERRED TO FREQUENTLY We re Going to See a Wetter Irish Climate We ve Got to Plan for That Ciaran Cuffe, RTE, 4 th Feb WAS CLIMATE CHANGE TO BLAME? MSL Rise of 200mm over Last Century Current Rate of Rise 3.2mm/yr Contributory Factor, But Not Sole Cause However Need to Consider What Future Changes Might Be, and Plan to Adapt / Provide for Change

GET ON WITH IT! PUBLIC FRUSTRATION WITH DELAYS Totally Understandable! BUT Challenging Construction Projects: Up to 40m Civils Projects in City / Town Centres on Public and Private Lands Legal Requirements: Procurement, Consultation, Environmental Assessment, Planning / Public Exhibition,. Complex Design Process: Modelling complex natural systems, often under uncertainty Need to be Sure It s the Right Project - Rushed Job can be a Bad Job!

SO. WHAT ARE WE DOING? (AND WHEN?)

PLAN, PREPARE, PROTECT LAUNCHED 2006

FLOODMAPS.IE LAUNCHED 2006

GUIDANCE ON EMERGENCY PLANS PREPARED 2008 UPDATED

SURGE ADVISORY SERVICE TESTING BEGAN 2009

EFAS BECAME MEMBERS 2010

WATERLEVEL.IE LAUNCHED 2013

WHAT ARE WE DOING? STRATEGIC FFWS REVIEW Completed Recommends National FFS Centre Recommendations under Consideration FSU Research Completed Portal to be Launched 2014 CAPITAL PROGRAMME Minor Works: 29m Approved for 430 Projects since 2009 Appx. 2,500 Properties Protected Major Schemes: 32 Schemes Completed Appx. 8,000 Properties Protected 8 Schemes In Construction & 23 Schemes In Design / Planning

CFRAM PROGRAMME NATIONAL CFRAM PROGRAMME Catchment-Based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Studies Key Outputs Flood Maps Catchment Flood Risk Management Plan

CFRAM PROGRAMME SCOPE OF WORK Survey Data Collection Hydrology Hydraulics / Flood Mapping

CFRAM PROGRAMME SCOPE OF WORK Survey Data Collection Hydrology Hydraulics / Flood Mapping Incl. Future Scenarios Risk Analysis Flood Risk Management Options Outline Design SEA / Appropriate (Habitats) Assessment Flood Risk Management Plan

CFRAM PROGRAMME FLOOD MAPS - 300 AFAs, Incl 90 Coastal Communities - 2,500 kms Other Mapped River - Inform: - Sustainable Planning - Emergency Response Planning - Public Awareness & Preparedness - Public Consultation Summer 2014 FRMPs - Outline Scheme / Measure Design: - 300 AFAs, Incl 90 Coastal Communities - Potentially > bn Works - Benefit to IE: At least 30m Per Year - Public Consultation 2015

CFRAM PROGRAMME BUDGETS & PRIORITISATION OPW Current Annual Capital FRM Budget: 45m FRMP Recommendations: Potentially > bn Need to Prioritise Major Capital Investments: CFRAM Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) Consideration of Range of Benefits MCA Benefit Cost Ratio Economic Benefit Cost Ratio What for Low Priority or Other Areas? Minor-Works Non-Structural Measures FFWS, FERP, AP&R

PLANNING GUIDELINES OPW DoECLG INITIATIVE LAUNCHED: NOVEMBER 2009 BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE PLANNING Major Component of Flood Risk Prevention Avoids Creation of New Risks Avoids Additional Future Demands for Resources Essential for Long-Term, Sustainable Flood Risk Management

MULTI-FACETED OR HOLISTIC FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT PREVENT Sustainable Planning and Development Management PROTECT Major & Minor Flood Relief Schemes PREPARE Effective Flood Forecasting & Warning Effective, Targeted Flood Event Response Plans Plan, Prepare, Protect Take to Local Level People Aware, Prepared and Resilient

NEED ALL THREE FOR SAFE, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Flood Risk Management Protecting and Planning for our Communities PLANNING FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Mark Adamson Office of Public Works 12 th February, 2014