Working with nature to manage flood risk
Our natural landscape plays an important role in managing flooding. Over time, human activities such as agriculture, forestry and development have affected the way water runs off the land and reduced the natural capacity of land to store water. In some areas this has contributed to an increased risk of flooding.
Working with nature is part of a more sustainable approach to managing flood risk which can be used as an alternative or alongside traditional defence constructions. Working with nature to reduce the risk of flooding is referred to natural flood management (NFM).
Under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, SEPA has responsibilities for natural flood management. SEPA has produced a statement (
113kb) which sets out the actions that we will take, in partnership with others, to translate these policy requirements into practice.
Advantages of natural flood management
Natural flood management practices to reduce the risk of flooding include creating more natural landscapes and restoring wetlands and floodplains.
Natural flood management can do more than just reduce the risk of flooding. Other benefits of using nature to manage flood risk include improving river habitats for birds, fish and wildlife, reducing pollution, making the landscape more adaptive to climate change and attracting more visitors to a location. |
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Restoration projects
To promote natural flood management and teach us more about how these techniques work, SEPA is supporting research and working in partnership with organisations such as local authorities, universities and charities to establish demonstration projects. These projects show how natural approaches can reduce flood risk and deliver additional benefits.
Projects currently underway are: