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Future flooding in Wales: Flood defences

The latest climate change projections indicate that flooding and coastal erosion are likely to increase in the future. This assessment considers the possible costs of building and maintaining river and coastal defences over the next 25 years.

What does this assessment tell us?

It sets out the best available evidence on the choices the people of Wales face, about how much money could be needed to manage the increasing risk of flooding and coastal erosion due to climate change and asset deterioration over the next 25 years (2010 – 2035).

Our modelling shows that investment in building and maintaining flood defences will need to increase by approximately three times, to around £135 million a year (compared to approximately £44 million now) by 2035.  This will keep the numbers of properties at flood risk in 2035 to around present day numbers.  This figure excludes the cost of managing the risk of surface water and ground water flooding and other activities such as flood warning and development control.

How will future investment be funded?

Welsh Assembly Government provides the majority of funding for flood and coastal risk management in Wales.

Sir Michael Pitt recommended in his independent review of the Summer 2007 floods in England, that locally-funded flood defences should become a bigger feature of flood and coastal risk management.

We would welcome a public debate to identify other possible sources of funding, enabling local communities to contribute to reducing flood risk in their locality.

What work has already been done?

Environment Agency Wales is responsible for some 1,800 miles of flood defences and about 5,500 sluices, outfalls, floodgates and barriers in Wales.  We spend most of our budget on improving flood defences and keeping them in good order.  Between 2003 and 2009 investment to improve our flood defences reduced the risk of flooding to more than 5,800 properties.

Wales has been successful in maximising the use of European Union funds, both under Objective 1 and now under Convergence and Competitiveness programmes.  European funds have been match-funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.  Locations which have benefited from this investment include Aberdare, St Clears, Glynneath, Pwllheli and Bangor.  Other flood improvement schemes have been approved and it is anticipated that more projects will be delivered in the future.

Download the report