Agency aims to double the number of schemes it supports after success of £15m pilot projects Low-tech “natural” flood management such as using natural materials to slow river flow and storing flood water on meadows will play a key role in preventing future floods, according to the chief executive of the Environment Agency. Sixty pilot natural flood management projects have helped protect 15,000 homes and create storage for up to 1.6m cubic metres of flood water, while also helping nature recovery on 380 miles (610km) of river and on 4,000 hectares of wetlands and woodlands. Announcing the results of the four-year natural flood management pilots, Sir James Bevan, the chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: “The warning signs of the climate crisis are stark – and sadly devastating flooding is likely to become a more familiar sight over the next century. By harnessing the power of nature alongside our traditional flood defences, we can not only keep communities safe, but also create wildlife havens and tackle the climate emergency.” Natural flood management helps to slow the flow of water across the landscape via measures such as restoring meanders to canalised rivers, recreating wetlands that store flood water, and planting trees and hedges by rivers that also help absorb water. The £15m pilot projects included Cumbrian schemes whereby farmers removed compaction in their soils to reduce water runoff, more than 100 “leaky” wooden barriers built by the Forestry Commission on streams, and a drystone wall redesigned so that it could hold water. In Warwickshire, the community-led Shipston Area Flood Action Group built 700 leaky barriers and ponds to slow the flow of water on the River Stour during heavy rainfall, reducing the flood risk to 17 villages and towns. In Sutton, Greater London, sustainable urban drainage systems have been installed in six schools. These systems capture rainwater runoff from surfaces like... |