Land and runoff management

The way that rural land is managed, both in terms of the vegetative cover and the underlying soil, can greatly influence the pathways and speed by which incident rainfall reaches watercourses. Good land and soil management practices can help to minimise the generation of surface runoff and reduce downstream flood risk. Land and soil management for NFM involves cultivating soils to promote a good macro-structure and good organic matter content, thereby increasing soil infiltration and reducing surface flow generation and associated sediment transport. Surface water flooding is usually associated with heavy rainfall falling on impermeable surfaces, dry (capped) soils, frozen soils, or on a saturated catchment, causing overland flow to occur. This rainfall induced overland flow is quickly transferred to channels across the surface of the landscape due to the limited potential for soil infiltration. There is a consequent rapid rise in channel levels and a flashy catchment response to the rainfall. This high energetic flow of water across the landscape can result in erosion to soil and the transport of sediments (and sediment associated pollutants). Runoff management measures target these flow pathways, disconnecting them thereby attenuating the flow.

New book on Multifunctional Wetlands released by United Nations University, Institute for Water, Environment and Health

A new book on multifunctional wetlands has been produced by UNU-INWEH. The book aims to put wetlands at the heart of the Nature Based Solutions approach. The book is designed to aid planners and ecosystem managers on the value of creating and restoring wetlands in catchments. The full title of the book is "Multi-functional Wetlands; Pollution Abatement and Other Ecological Services from Natural and Constructed Wetlands"

Foundation for common land release position statement on Natural Flood Management

The foundation for common land has released a position statement on the use of Natural Flood Management. The statement looks at the potential benefits and limations of NFM focusing on six topic areas. These are

  1. the range of interventions available under NFM,
  2. Why stakeholder participation is essential not optional,
  3. The multiple benefits of NFM,
  4. The role of trees and grassland management,
  5. Common land in relation to NFM and
  6. the limitations of NFM.

More information can be found in the link below.

Film released on Natural Flood Management

A new film is being previewed online which gives an extensive overview of the role of Natural Flood Management. The film, directed by Andy Clark, covers topics such as the evidence, the role of communities and the role of landmanagers in working with Natural Flood Management. The film website gives information of viewings that may be taking place near you and a detailed film 'snippet' library. The library contains real stories told by active stakeholders working with NFM. It is supported by a number of institutes who are working closely with Natural Flood Management network Scotland.

EEA highlight importance of restoring floodplains and wetlands.

The European Environment Agency have issued a statement highlighting the importance of restoring floodplains and wetlands to offer value for money solutions to flooding. This comes out of the latest publication on "Green Infrastructure and flood management - promoting cost-efficient flood risk reduction via green infrastructure solutions" which outlined series of challenges and opportunities of using more Nature Based Solution approaches. There are six detailed case studies in the report. More details can be found in the link below.

Soils and Natural Flood Management: New report by Catchment Based Approach

A manual has been released on soil management with respect to Natural Flood Management, specifically for soils in the Devon and Cornwall region (however, findings have wider applicability). The document, authored by Richard Smith from the Environment Agency (and supported by Devon County Council, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, FWAG South West and South West Water) aims to improve understanding on  the potential of soil in the region to infiltrate rainfall thereby reducing surface runoff.

Working with Natural Processes Evidence Directory launched

The Environment Agency for England and Wales recently published various outputs from the Working with Natural Processes (WWNP) project. The project looked at mechanisms to reduce flood hazards by using natural techniques in catchments and coasts. The project is underpinned by an extensive literature review which collated all known available knowledge within the UK and also drew upon relevant international literature. This literature has been synthesized into one location allowing it to be accessible to flood risk planners and other interested bodies.

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Learning from community led flood risk management (CREW report)
What can be learnt from working with a community to identify what flood risk management measures are needed, are acceptable and which deliver the greatest multiple benefits?

Effect of soil structure and field drainage on water quality and flood risks (CREW report)
Effect of soil structure and field drainage on water quality and flood risks (report by CREW)

Natural Flood Management in the context of UK reservoir legislation (CREW report)
A short policy paper by CREW detailing the issues managers come up against when implementing NFM in relation to UK reservoir legislation.  Information is sought on whether these issues still apply under the new Reservoirs Act.

Land management for increased flood resilience (CREW report)
The 'Land management for increased flood resilience' report was published by CREW and authored by Spray et al., (2015).  The main objectives of the project were to undertake: A large scale survey of farmers’ attitudes to NFM and to the use of potential policy instruments to promote its uptake and delivery; andFarm-scale economic analyses of the impact of NFM measures under different scenarios.See - https://www.crew.ac.uk/publication/land-management-increased-flood-resilience
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