Natural flood management measures: A practical guide for farmers

This guide has been developed to provide simple, clear information on natural flood management measures for landowners and farmers in the North West. Flooding is a natural process but it can have devastating consequences for people and property. With climate change science predicting an increase in occurrence and severity of high rainfall events, we need to change the way we think about managing flood risk.

The paper finds that simple techniques could have a significant effect on reducing flood risk without sacrificing production levels or greatly altering land management practices. These measures can also be beneficial to agricultural businesses by reducing the damaging effects of high rainfall events to farms such as soil loss, track erosion or inundation of buildings. A number of case studies and research projects have shown Natural Flood Management to be effective when carried out in small catchments above a community at flood risk. A large scale of intervention is required to make a significant difference but it is the combined network, rather than individual features, that provides flood mitigation.