Sir James Bevan, Environment Agency Chief Executive, outlined his vision for natural flood management as the Environment Agency published a new report on the £15 million NFM programme.

Following a report published by the Environment Agency, he outlined his vision for natural flood management to be seen shoulder to shoulder with its programme of crucial bricks and mortar hard defences.

The report evaluates the impact of the national Natural Flood Management Programme which received £15 million of government funding, including benefits to communities and to biodiversity alongside protecting homes and businesses from floods. 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, he said.

Across 60 pilot projects the programme created an equivalent of 1.6 million cubic metres of water storage and increased flood resilience to 15,000 homes. In addition, the programme contributed to nature recovery: improving 4,000 hectares of habitat, improving 610 kilometres of river and planting 100 hectares of woodland.

Sir James Bevan 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 help keep communities safer, but also create wildlife havens and tackle the climate emergency.”

The full news release can be read here. The natural flood management evaluation report can be found here.