Natural Flood Management
© Jon Milliken
Living near a river or stream has many advantages, from employment and recreation to opportunities for wildlife-spotting. But for some residents the proximity has another, less positive outcome: a risk of localised flooding.
In the right circumstances flooding can be a good thing - floodplains offer nutrient-rich soil and valuable wildlife habitat - but over time various factors have increased the risk for local homes and businesses. As the human impact upon the streams increases, so does the need for us to help them cope with times of high flow.
As part of the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme, we're exploring ways to address this issue through our Natural Flood Management project. This method uses nature-based solutions to reduce the risk of flooding; you may also have heard it called 'Working with Natural Processes' or simply 'NFM'.
Share your thoughts
This project is still in development, but one great way to get involved now is to complete our Natural Flood Management questionnaire. We’re collecting the views of local people in the scheme area, and Hampshire more broadly, in support of our partner Hampshire County Council.
The Council is conducting research on implementing natural solutions to flooding as part of the broader Natural Flood Management project. Taking this survey will help us to better understand the role of Natural Flood Management in the lives of local communities.
The Wildlife Trust is collecting this data on behalf of Vicki Westall, the Council’s Strategic Flood and Water Management Co‐ordinator, and it will contribute to her MSc in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management. For full details about this please see the participant information sheet.
If you'd like to share your views on Natural Flood Management, please complete the questionnaire below by Sunday 31st January 2021. If you have any problems with the form, or any queries, please contact the team on winterbournes@hiwwt.org.uk.