Flooding

Flooding is a natural process that cannot be prevented.  It can have severe impacts on individuals and on communities.  It can also have impacts on wildlife.  Climate change is likely to increase the occurrence of flooding and we need to find new ways to deal with managing flooding.  Natural habitats can be used to help us manage flood risk.  This brings benefits for biodiversity as well as to communities - an example of an 'ecosystem service'. 

Working with nature to manage flood risk We can work to restore a catchment's natural capacity to deal with floods to help us manage flood risk.  Wetlands, floodplains and woodland can act to slow the flow of water and store water in the catchment and reduce the risk of flooding to settlements downstream.

Measures that utilise natural habitats and restore natural processes can be used in combination with more traditional flood risk management measures such as concrete flood walls. An advantage of working with nature to manage flood risk is that these measures can deliver multiple benefits for people and the environment such as:

• tackling diffuse pollution - for example buffer strips can reduce excess nutrients and sediment run-off entering watercourses and can also contribute to slowing and storing flood water;
• restoring natural processes and habitats in a catchment and so improving biodiversity and geodiversity - for example removing flood embankments and reconnecting a river with its floodplain;
• improvements in amenity and landscape.

 Working with nature to manage flood risk can also be used to deal with coastal flooding and storm surges. For example coastal flood defences can be moved back to allow new areas of coastal habitat, such as saltmarsh, to develop.  This 'managed realignment' helps deal with coastal flooding by using natural habitats to absorb wave energy.

New legislation Scotland has new flooding legislation - the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009.  The Act transposes the EU Floods Directive into Scots law and brings Scottish flooding legislation up to date. The EU Floods Directive purpose is to establish a framework for the assessment and management of flood risk.  It aims to reduce and mitigate the adverse consequences of flooding on:

• human health
• the environment
• cultural heritage
• economic activity

Under the Directive, countries are required to produce flood risk management plans for areas of significant flood risk.  Flooding legislation is no longer focussed on trying to prevent flooding but on managing flood risk. You can find out more about Scotland's new flooding legislation and current research and policy development  on the Scottish Government website.

Land Management SEPA and Local Authorities will be the key authorities responsible for taking forward the new flooding legislation, plans and flood schemes.  These schemes will not only include conventional flood protection such as flood walls but they will also work with natural habitats across a catchment to reduce flood risk.  To do this the authorities will need the active involvement of land managers through:

• voluntary changes in land management practice in response to advice
• applications for funding through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP)
• negotiating changes in land management with Councils, to work with natural habitats to manage flood risk as part of Flood Risk Management Plans and Schemes

Under the SRDP there are options related to flood management such as:

• management of floodplains
• create, restore and manage wetland
• management/restoration of lowland raised bogs
• woodland creation

Urban areas Flooding causes greatest damage in urban areas.  Measures that work with nature to manage flood risk may be best used in the upper reaches of a catchment to help in reducing the amount of flood water that reaches towns and cities or slowing the flow to give more time for flood warning.  But restoring or creating habitats and areas of greenspace can also help in tackling flooding in urban areas and deliver multiple benefits to the urban environment.  Examples of how this can be achieved include:

• removing culverts from watercourses and creating and maintaining green corridors alongside watercourses that allow for storm water flows;
• improve biodiversity and amenity use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), such as constructed wetlands, that improve biodiversity, landscape and amenity and reduce diffuse pollution, as well as having the potential to help manage flood risk;
• maintenance of areas of green space such as parks and playing fields that enhance the local environment and can also be used for flood storage.

 How is Scottish Natural Heritage involved in Flood Risk Management? Under the new Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, Scottish Natural Heritage will:

• be consulted by Local Authorities and SEPA on Flood Protection Schemes and on Flood Risk Management Plans;
• contribute advice to a National Advisory Group and local advisory groups;
• provide advice on the impact of Flood Protection Schemes on designated sites and species of national and international importance;
• promote working with nature to manage flood risk.