the umbrella body of the rivers trust movement

where there’s water, there’s life

Vikki SalaSAssistant DirectorWest CumbriaRivers Trust

Challenges of Integrating Flood Risk and Rivers Trusts

Vikki SalasAssistant Director – Catchment Partnerships

• Background• Storm Desmond 2015• Cumbria Strategic Flood Partnership• An integrated catchment-based approach

• Great outputs• Examples• Rivers Trusts and NFM

• Key challenges• Some food for thought

BackgroundBackground

Storm Desmond Nov 2015

Cumbria Strategic Flood PartnershipThe Cumbria Strategic Flood Partnership has adopted a catchment approach, looking at ways to reduce flood risk from the source of the rivers through to the sea.

This approach is achieved through the work of Catchment Management Groups/Catchment Partnerships that embed collaborative working at a river catchment scale. Hosted by the local rivers trust in each area, these groups drive cost-effective delivery on the ground and work to ensure that the actions we take to reduce flood risk also offer wider benefits for communities and wildlife.

The full circle….

Catchment Management Groups• Catchment-based approach - to

flooding

• Many similar members to pre-existing Catchment Partnership

• Community representatives from Flood Action Groups + more risk management authority representation

• Reports to Cumbria Strategic Flood Partnership (CSFP)

Catchment Partnerships• All-encompassing Catchment Based

Approach, good buy-in

• More ‘flood’ representatives

• Cumbria-wide spreadsheet for collating pipeline of catchment projects

• Data portals and catchment action plans

• Still reports to CSFP - on partnership flood projects only

Catchment Management

Groups (+ partnerships)

Catchment Partnerships

Catchment Partnerships

Cumbria Strategic Flood Partnership

West Cumbria Catchment Partnership

Project working Groups Task and Finish Groups

St. John’s restoration Natural Flood Management Handbook

Glendermackin Catchment Natural Flood Management

Bootle / River Annas catchment restoration River Keekle restoration

A66 Braithwaite/Newlands catchment area

Cocker Catchment Natural Flood ManagementFlimby flood alleviation

Lower Derwent working group

South CumbriaCatchment Groups

Eden Catchment Partnership

NW Regional Flood & Coastal

Committee

Some great outputs J• Good level of buy in – members from all

sectors• Good level of shared understanding,

partnerships, information sharing• Partnership delivery work for multiple benefits• Publically available project delivery pipeline,

updated quarterly with status and issues flags• Catchment action plans based on available

evidence base• Collective funding bids, consultation responses • For example…

Highways England working group• Working group to address flooding issues on A66 key

infrastructure route• Environment Agency, Natural England, Cumbria County

Council, Parish Council/Flood Action Group, Local farmers, West Cumbria Rivers Trust• Sharing of information to inform detailed flood model

for the area, to get the correct baselines before starting to look at solutions • Aiming to reduce flood risk to the Highway network,

improve the watercourse & environment, and reduce flood risk to people and properties

Natural Flood Management (NFM) Projects• Reduce flood risk whilst improving watercourses and

their catchments• Can complement formal flood risk schemes• West Cumbria Rivers Trust project lead and key delivery

partner on six NFM projects• Good landowner buy-in because we are trusted

amongst landowners, lots of multiple benefits, match funding• E.g. Dovenby beck project – charitable funding to

deliver NFM with community flood action group, County Council and Parish Council

Rivers Trusts role in flood risk management

• Delivery and advice – known and trusted, many multiple benefits• Funding - Many flood action groups aren’t formally

constituted so can’t apply for charitable funding themselves, but we can… and bring in other benefits too• Lead on landowner contacts and liaison for multiple

partner delivery• Hosting and co-ordinating Catchment Partnership

activity, info sharing, action plans, data collation etc

A Catchment-based approach isn’t a Catchment-based approach without integrating flood risk managementPlus as a Rivers Trust we will struggle to deliver our charitable objectives without considering flood risk management (Improving our watercourses for PEOPLE and wildlife)

Communities at risk of flooding Anglers

Tourists and local communities

Recreational use – swimmers, canoeists etc

But it’s not without it’s challenges…..

Community representation- Disseminating info, unpaid

People vs Fish - Still clashes over approaches, but better to talk about it!

So much going on, so little time!

Time and resource to co-ordinate Catchment Partnerships – no one wants to pay for it, but there are so many benefits

Still difficult to merge differing funding to deliver maximum outputs

Some food for thought…� Integration needs to happen from the top down as well as

the bottom up� Flood risk scheme appraisal work / funding calculators don’t

allow for a true catchment based approach to flood risk management

� Regulation required� Flood Risk Management Plans and River Basin Management

Plans? Really? How about a Catchment Plan for both? � Regional Flood and Coastal Committees – how about

Regional Catchment Management Committees? � Needs to be easier to access funding for multiple benefit

delivery � Resource for Catchment Partnerships