1. Natural Flood Management Jonathan Cooper Director

2. Introduction
CFRAM capital programme can only be part of the measures to reduce the State’s flood risk profile
Complimentary use of non-structural responses following the completion of the OPW Flood Risk Management Plans, with a focus on green infrastructure and land management changes. 
How achievable is this in Ireland following lessons learnt in other jurisdictions and as a result of the Flood Risk Management Plans?

3. Why is Natural Flood Management Important?
EU uses Green Infrastructure in its broadest context
Triple benefits –
Protection of fluvial and coastal eco systems
Mitigation of climate change and carbon sequestration
Cost effective risk reduction
Presumption of best environmental options
Synergies with key EU policy areas
Soil/Agricultural/Forestry/Env Assessment

4. Natural Flood Management/ Water Retention Measures

5. Drivers for change
Flood events and increasing severity is becoming the norm
Proportion of GDP required to deliver capital solutions is becoming challenging
EU Floods Directive an important step change
Environmental legislation requires the assessment of alternative and non structural measures
Communities are becoming more effective, articulate and realistic

6. Transition from Flood Defence to Flood Risk Management
A culture change
Cross sectoral and more political
Prevention and Preparedness more effective than provision of defences
Land use planning and rural land management important

7. CFRAM as the actor for change
Information is critical to making the business case
Flood Risk Management Plans should:
Provide a full examination of strategic options?
Provide a robust case for schemes with sustainable options?
Did it make the case for integrated cross sectoral approach to managing flood risk?
Are there tangible actions involving Non Structural or NFM measures which will be taken forward in the next Plan period?

8. What is missing in the plans
Key linkages to Water Framework Directive
Sediment transport
Arterial Drainage Act legacy
Call for a coordinated action on land management
Explicit measures on natural flood management
Examination of Maintenance programme and riparian activities
Climate change adaptation

9. JBA response to NFM in CFRAM
JBA first to apply UK methods to Ireland.
GIS analysis and mapping of opportunities for natural flood management.
Applied at the catchment scale.
Example screening maps to prompt further investigation

10. JBA response to NFM in CFRAM
Opportunities for re-naturalisation of floodplains and river channels

11. JBA response to NFM in CFRAM
Opportunities for floodplain storage

12. JBA response to NFM in CFRAM
Opportunities for runoff management

13. JBA response to NFM in CFRAM
Summary table of opportunities (1)

14. JBA response to NFM in CFRAM
Summary table of opportunities (2)

15. Barriers to NFM adoption
Agricultural grant systems not aligned with FRM/NFM
Long term funding of these measures
Cross sectoral working is limited
Lack of case studies with monitoring – proving the benefits
Arterial drainage schemes focused on legacy objectives
FRMP not proactive and scheme based

16. How is being taken forward in other jurisdictions - England
Government competition to encourage new thinking in catchments
20 case studies reviewing modelling approaches
R&D encouraging universities and research consultancies to innovate
Role of rivers trusts and other land owning NGOs
Involvement of community groups and farmers

17. How to Model and Map catchment processes https://www. gov
Report and outputs on GOV.UK, contains:
Advice on modelling and mapping each process in an FCERM context
20 case studies developed
A library of tools developed

18. Broad-scale modelling, mapping, engagement, re-modelling, visualisation
This is the approach that we’ve been taking with the modelling. Screening. Engaging. More detailed modelling
© Jeremy Benn Associates Ltd 2015
Understanding and Assessing Flood Risk

19. The suite of national NFM opportunity maps made for the Environment Agency
Over 5000 interactive PDFs that hyper-link and have drop-downs to explore different spatially mapped NFM opportunities
First attempt at Mapping tree-planting, runoff attenuation features opportunities and benefits for England

20. Holnicote Pilot study

21. Predicted impact of measures for Holnicote

22. How is being taken forward in other jurisdictions - Romania
Babadag Flood Relief Scheme.
Seeking EIB funding.
EIB funding application requires full compliance with
EU Floods Directive,
EU Water Framework Directive, and
EU Habitats and Birds Directive
This means Green Infrastructure in the form of Natural Flood Retention Measures must be considered and included as part of the project

23. How is being taken forward in other jurisdictions - Romania
Evidence of sediment issues in artificial river channel

24. How is NFM being taken forward in other jurisdictions? - Romania
Upstream sediment sources in dry ravines
Rapid response to runoff causes sediment and flood issues
Managing the sediments also manages flood risk
To qualify for EIB funding, this needs to be demonstrated and included as part of the project, not as a mitigation measure.
Additional measures included
Upstream sediment and flow storage
Tree planting/land management

25. Application of methods to Ireland Political & Social
Are there strategic opportunities for pilot studies?
Screening of catchments where opportunities are present
Ability to co-ordinate landowners (committee, single landowner)
Local waters and communities offices as co-ordinators (WFD)?
Landowners with capability to act (e.g. Coillte, Windfarms, Irish Water)

26. Application of methods to Ireland Funding & Governance
Funding and governance required for:
studies,
implementation
monitoring
EU grants may introduce closer scrutiny on compliance with EU legislation

27. Application of methods to Ireland Technical
Can process led simulation approaches apply to Ireland?

28. Conclusions
Economic modelling using Natural Capital techniques is now being piloted (Agri/WQ/FRM benefits) in the UK for NFM
NFM will not solve a flood problem, but will make structural solutions more resilient and easier to maintain
We need take that leap of faith and create pilot schemes
It must be cross sectoral and extend beyond the CFRAM