Flooding is one of the biggest risks associated with climate change. The need for adaptation is real and pressing. The need to build resilience to flooding is also real and pressing. The aim of this session would be to raise awareness, stimulate wider engagement of the flood risk management and climate change adaptation debate, plus sharing possible options for managing flood risk in Wales in the future.
The session will look at the key challenges and options for flood risk management in Wales and how all levels of government, public bodies, businesses, communities and individuals must work together to adapt and mitigate against the impacts of a changing climate change.
The project Wye Ithon and Severn Ecosystems (WISE) Funded by the Sustainable Management Scheme (SMS) worked with an established catchment partnership, including landowners and local communities to improve the natural resources in a large landscape travelling down a stretch of the Wye catchment. Action was taken to improve soil quality in agricultural land, create woodland to maximise the potential for reducing flood risk, habitat improvement for better biodiversity and water quality and improved infrastructure on farmyards to reduce pollution.
The project aimed to involve the rural communities and agricultural businesses in the area to help them understand and take action to ensure long term improvement of ecosystems and understand the services these ecosystem provide that are vital for helping address the impacts of climate change and flooding, and in turn providing opportunities for improved health and well-being.
The project also supported and delivered on all of the below:
- Project delivered workshops to over 170 children and teaching staff
- Project delivered Grazing Management to 72 farms
- Our partnership with the Woodland Trust enabled us to secure 5,710 trees
- 34.8 hectares of woodland supported
- The WISE project has engaged with over 275 farm businesses across the Wye, Ithon and Severn catchments
- Over 700 recommendations were made across all catchment areas in the WISE project to improve natural capital benefits.
- 1255 stakeholders engaged
- 8 jobs Safeguarded
Register onto the events here: https://freshwater.eventscase.com/EN/COPCymru21/Programme
Accelerating action to manage Wales’ flood risk in an ever-changing climate (hosted by Natural Resources Wales) event is on 12:45 - 13:45 today.
The Sustainable Management Scheme (SMS) which is part of the Co-operation and Supply Chain Development Scheme which is part of the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. Which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.