Flood mitigation project

The project recommendations were published on 17 October 2024.

Background

The 2021 Co-operation Agreement states – “we will also ask the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales to conduct an assessment of how the nationwide likelihood of flooding of homes, businesses and infrastructure can be minimised by 2050”.

Commissioners Eurgain Powell and Eluned Parrott led this work.

After carrying out a scoping study earlier in 2023, the Commission wrote to the Welsh Government outlining our plans on how we would approach this work.

Our initial work consisted of 4 research workstreams which covered:

  • developing a vision for flood risk management;
  • exploring the options for coordinated strategic and spatial responses to flood management;
  • the funding and workforce resources needed; and
  • quantifying and analysing the land use planning issues associated with flooding.

What the programme seeks to achieve

From the 4 workstreams and other NICW activity, the programme collectively aimed to achieve the following:

  • A shared vision for 2050 and beyond on how we wish to enhance resilience and adaptation planning to the risks from flooding in the context of climate change given the increased impacts that we are going to see.
  • A plan so that homes, communities, businesses and infrastructure are more resilient and adaptive to flood events and associated climate risks and are able to recover more quickly.
  • Stakeholders understand the likely impacts and where responsibilities sit in terms of response/ action.
  • People (including those with protected characteristics) understand, feel prepared and able to respond to future flooding and climate risks.
  • Suggested approaches to strengthen collaboration and partnership working amongst organisations and agencies as well as involvement of, and increasing resilience of, communities.

Key Strategic Messages

In terms of translating our remit and values into actions and messages associated with our flooding programme, the following high level key messages were used throughout our work in communicating and engaging with stakeholders and the public:

  • Stakeholders should be encouraged to think freely and radically, unchaining themselves from current frameworks and practices and thinking as widely as possible.
  • Where appropriate, all of those involved should be invited to think about what the world might be like in 2050 and, working back from this date, think about the barriers that might be encountered and how these might be overcome.
  • We will make our engagement as open as possible, seeking views from as wide a group of interested parties.
  • We will actively seek out opinions from across the spectrum of views, including those which may be challenging of our own.
  • Where the public are involved in our research, we will seek to identify and involve people from different backgrounds and those from protected characteristics.
  • We will seek to be efficient with our engagement of the same people to not waste their time. Workstreams will collaborate where necessary to achieve this with one single contact point.

Project Advisory Group

NICW was supported in management of the project by a PAG made up of a range of stakeholders with relevant expertise.

  • Ed Beard – National Infrastructure Commission
  • Andy Fraser – Welsh Government
  • Gwenllian Roberts – OFWAT
  • Natalie Rees – Transport for Wales
  • Jeremy Parr – Natural Resources Wales
  • George Baker – JBA Consulting
  • Chris Uttey – Stroud District Council
  • Tom Hayek – Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
  • Roger Thomas – Fire Service
  • Ed Evans – CECA
  • Owen Conry – Conwy Council
  • Jean Francis Dulong – WLGA
  • Andrew Stone – Rhondda Cynon Taf Council
  • Richard Betts – Met Office
  • Dominic Scott – Dwr Cymru
  • Roger Falconer – Cardiff University

Additional references