The natural flood management manual (C802F)

Natural flood management (NFM) is a tool to help reduce flood risk. It complements other flood risk management approaches and involves working across the landscape to protect, restore or mimic the natural hydrological processes that occur. These include increasing infiltration of water, slowing the flow of water across the landscape, storing water and holding back sediment. Importantly, natural flood management can have a range of complementary, co-benefits such as habitat creation, carbon storage, water quality improvement and recreational and wellbeing benefits if delivered effectively and considered from the outset. These co-benefits can be maximised by working with others.

The manual is divided into five parts:

Part A provides an overview of natural flood management and a high-level checklist of the steps to deliver it.

Part B describes the philosophy of NFM and the first part of the delivery process - how to set up a project for success and choose appropriate NFM sites and measures.

Part C gives more detailed information on a range of inland NFM measures. There are 12 measures covered in the manual and of these four are covered in a greater depth – runoff management, runoff storage, leaky barriers, floodplain reconnection. The others are given a short overview with signposts to further detail.

Part D provides detailed information on the NFM delivery process

Appendices provide supporting information, including case studies and worked examples.

This manual is aimed at lead local flood authorities, Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards, water and sewerage companies, National Highways, Forestry Commission, landowners and land managers, Rivers Trusts and other relevant NGOs, relevant local community groups, catchment partnerships, occupiers and tenants, universities and research organisations.

The four NFM measures (Chapter 1) are also available to download as separate A3 PDFs.