Rural Flood Resilience Partnership launched to help farmers and rural communities adapt to a changing climate

With rural communities increasingly on the frontline of extreme weather and the devastating impacts of flooding, a unique partnership has been launched today (23 September 2024) to support rural flood resilience and help farmers and communities adapt to a changing climate.

Climate change means that people, places and nature are facing more frequent and more severe storms and floods. Last winter saw one of England’s wettest periods since records began in 1836.

The Rural Flood Resilience Partnership has been established to improve collaboration, deepen understanding of vulnerabilities, and support rural communities and agricultural businesses in building their resilience to present and future flood risks and coastal erosion.

The Partnership unites organisations representing government agencies, trade associations, rural communities and businesses to tackle a joint challenge with joint solutions.

The six equal founding partners are: Action with Communities in Rural England; the Association of Drainage Authorities; Country Land and Business Association; the Environment Agency; the National Farmers Union; and Natural England.

Today, the Partnership publishes its work plan covering 2024 to 2026. Partners and a wide range of projects will work together to improve their evidence base and will draw on this to co-develop solutions.

The work plan sets out 21 actions supporting seven strategic outcomes focused on: developing the evidence base behind decision-making to increase resilience; ensuring communities, farmers and landowners have access to quality advice and support; and engaging rural communities in flood resilience.

James Blake, Chair of Trustees Action with Communities in Rural England, said:

“It’s vital that everyone living and working in rural communities – not just those involved in land management and agriculture – have an opportunity to engage with and influence plans to manage the consequences of climate change.

“As one of the founding members of this partnership, we look forward to drawing on the experience and reach of ACRE members to build the capacity of rural communities to come together and consider what can be done based on local circumstances in response to this most pressing global issue.”

Robert Caudwell, Chair of the Association of Drainage Authorities, said:

“Our climate is changing rapidly, and those living and working in rural parts of England are some of the most aware of, and most vulnerable to, those changes. “Listening to the voice of rural communities is essential if we are to build England’s resilience to flooding and drought in the future.

“The best solutions can often be achieved when public authorities work together with local businesses and communities, combining their land and water management expertise with a deeper understanding of our local landscape and those impacted.

“ADA is proud to play its part in this new Partnership in support of our members, England’s flood and water management authorities.”

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) President Victoria Vyvyan said:

“The damage to rural land and businesses from flooding is localised but acute, and the frequency of these events will increase with climate change.

“It is crucial to improve the resilience of rural businesses and communities to flooding. The CLA hopes this partnership will provide the evidence, awareness of risks, and access to practical advice that will allow them to improve their resilience.

“This partnership will look for short and medium-term solutions whilst raising awareness of the rural-specific costs and challenges from flooding which our members face.”

Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency, said:

“Flooding presents specific challenges to those living and working in rural communities, from ruined crops to having road access cut off by floodwaters.

“Since 2015, flooding and coastal change projects have been completed to protect more than 400,000 hectares of agricultural land better. This includes 280,000 hectares between 2015-2021, helping to avoid more than £500 million worth of economic damage to agricultural land production.”

“While the Environment Agency continues to work to strengthen rural flood resilience, no single organisation can tackle these challenges in isolation. This partnership provides the opportunity to accomplish more than any one organisation can manage alone.

“The new Rural Flood Resilience Partnership will help farmers, land managers and rural communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change while retaining the vital role of managing land and producing sustainable food.”

NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos said:

NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos said: “The NFU is pleased to be involved in this new Partnership and hope it will enable farmers and rural communities to strengthen the resilience of their homes and businesses by providing practical solutions based on tangible evidence to some of the challenges they face in the event of flooding.

“It will also give rural communities the means to influence decision making, provide access to resources and support action on the ground, strengthening rural resilience to flooding in a changing climate.

“Farmers are on the frontline of climate change – our biggest challenge. The extreme weather this brings is one of the main threats to UK food security and more severe    storms, devastating floods, and increased periods of little or no rain are all impacting our ability to produce food.

“The country has just experienced its wettest 18 months since records began in 1836 which left many thousands of acres of productive farmland under water. There are still many farm businesses in dire need of support, and we are awaiting details of how the Farming Recovery Fund can help those businesses recover from the impacts of the devastating flooding and saturated ground.”

Natural England’s Greener Farming & Fisheries Director, Brad Tooze, said:

“Natural England champions the power of nature and nature-based solutions to help tackle the joint climate and biodiversity emergencies.

“NE welcomes the opportunity to join this partnership and add our science and evidence expertise and our local farm advice offer into the mix. Together we can support farmers and land managers to farm in more flood resilient ways – supporting communities to become more flood resilient and recovering nature at the same time.

“From signing up to the Sustainable Farming Incentive to manage arable land for flood/drought resilience and water quality or by working with others to restore a river and floodplain in Landscape Recovery every farmer and land manager can make a difference.”

The Partnership forms part of the wider work that all partners are undertaking on flood and coastal resilience.

All flood and coastal risk management schemes delivered by risk management authorities in England are carefully assessed to make sure they benefit the most people and property. Approximately 40% of all schemes and 45% of investment better protect properties in rural communities.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The Partnership work plan covering 2024 to 2026 can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rural-flood-resilience-partnership-2024-to-2026-work-plan

For queries and interview requests, please contact:

Environment Agency: newsdesk@defra.gov.uk,0330 041 6560

or

ACRE: p.vincent@acre.org.uk, 01285 425645

“As one of the founding members of this partnership, we look forward to drawing on the experience and reach of ACRE members to build the capacity of rural communities to come together and consider what can be done based on local circumstances in response to this most pressing global issue.”

James Blake, ACRE’s Chair