The Environment Agency has published its final updated National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England following public consultation – the original Strategy was published in 2011.

The Secretary of State laid the revised strategy, which incorporated feedback from a wide range of public, private and third sector respondents, before Parliament on 14 July 2020. it was adopted on 25 September 2020.

The Environment Agency (EA) exercises strategic leadership for all sources of flooding and coastal change via its ‘strategic overview’ role. The EA has worked in collaboration with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) practitioners in a wide range of organisations to develop the strategy, which seeks to better manage the risks and consequences of flooding from:

• rivers
• the sea
• groundwater
• reservoirs
• ordinary watercourses
• surface water
• sewers
• coastal erosion

Flood risk management authorities (RMAs) involved in flood and coastal erosion risk management include:

• the Environment Agency
• lead local flood authorities
• district councils
• internal drainage boards
• highways authorities
• water and sewerage companies

RMAs, working with local partners, have invested £2.6 billion of government funding in FCERM between 2015 and 2021.

Latest figures published by the Environment Agency in 2019 show that over 5.2 million homes and properties in England are at risk from flooding and coastal erosion. In addition, for every household directly affected during a large flood, about 16 people suffer knock-on effects from the loss of utility services.

In the latest winter 2019/20 flooding the estimates of the economic losses are about £333 million - but the economic damage avoided from the protection provided is at least 14 times greater, according to the Environment Agency.

In the 2020 Budget, the government committed to doubling expenditure on FCERM to £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027. The spend is intended to better protect a further 336,000 homes and properties as well as avoid £32 billion of wider economic damages to the nation. The government has also provided £200 million between 2021 and 2027 for a resilience programme that will support 25 local areas to take forward wider actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion.

The Agency said the 2020 Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy has 3 long-term ambitions, underpinned by evidence about future risk and investment needs. They are:

• climate resilient places: working with partners to bolster resilience to flooding and coastal change across the nation, both now and in the face of climate change
• today’s growth and infrastructure resilient in tomorrow’s climate: making the right investment and planning decisions to secure sustainable growth and environmental improvements, as well as infrastructure resilient to flooding and coastal change
• a nation ready to respond and adapt to flooding and coastal change: ensuring local people understand their risk to flooding and coastal change, and know their responsibilities and how to take action

Commenting on climate resilient places, the Agency said the strategy calls for the nation to embrace a broad range of resilience actions including better protection to flooding and coastal change.

Alongside flood and coastal defences, a broader range of actions for achieving climate resilient places is now needed, including:

• avoiding inappropriate development in the floodplain
• making greater use of nature-based solutions that take a catchment led approach to slow the flow of or store flood waters to improve resilience to both floods and droughts
• better preparing and responding to flood and coastal incidents through timely and effective forecasting, warning and evacuation
• helping communities and local economies recover more quickly after a flood or ‘building back better’
• making properties and infrastructure more resilient to future flooding

Looking ahead to 2100, the strategy calls for ‘adaptive pathways’ that enable local places to better plan for future flooding and coastal change and adapt to future climate hazards. According to the 2018 UK Climate Change Projections, average sea level could increase by over a metre by the end of the century (Met Office, 2019).

The Agency said that as a nation we need to improve the way we integrate adaptation to flooding and coastal change into:

• daily activities
• projects
• long-term strategic investment plans
• strategies for places and catchments

It also warns that in some places the scale and pace of future flooding and coastal erosion will be very significant. “Over a period of time, some of these communities may choose to transition and adapt with support from RMAs,” the strategy says.

Strategy aims to ensure all infrastructure investment is resilient to future flooding and coastal change

The strategy sets out a long-term objective for RMAs to work with infrastructure providers to ensure all infrastructure investment is resilient to future flooding and coastal change. Over two-thirds of properties in England are served by infrastructure sites and networks located in, or dependent on others located in, areas at risk of flooding, according to the Environment Agency.

“Recent floods have demonstrated the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, such as electricity sub-stations and water treatment plants. Critical infrastructure affected by flooding can cause considerable disruption and economic damage.”

The Agency is also warning that “we are likely to see the number of properties in the flood plain almost double over the next 50 years.“ as the population grows.

As part of their work RMAs will work with partners to provide expert advice on how infrastructure providers (road, rail, water and power supplies) can ensure their investments are more resilient to future flooding and coastal change.

Engagement and monitoring of progress

The strategy has been developed collaboratively with practitioners in over 90 organisations. The Environment Agency advisory group established to test the strategy’s objectives and measures included representatives from RMAs, including local government and internal drainage boards, together with other national and civil society organisations.

The Environment Agency will now report annually to Ministers on the progress RMAs are making with the strategy’s objectives and measures.

Alongside the strategy the Environment Agency now plans to develop an action plan with partners for taking forward the strategy which will be published by April 2021. The next review of the strategy is planned for 2026.

Click here to download National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England